'SYCHIC  LIGHT 

PRICE  $2.50  DELIVERED 

ERNEST ¥.  LYDICK 
tOULDER  CREEK,  CALIF. 


MRS.  MAUD  LORD-DRAKE. 


PSYCHIC  LIGHT 


The  Continuity  of  Law  and  Life. 


MRS.  MAUD  LORD-DRAKE. 


PRKBS   OV 

THE  I'KANK  T    KII.EY   PUB.  CO., 

KANSAS   CITY.  HO. 

ISM, 


LIBRARY 

EDUC. 

PSYCH. 

LIBRARY 


COPYRIGHT   1903 

BY 

J.  S.    DRAKE. 


PREFACE. 

"Minds  on  this  round  earth  of  ours 
Vary  like  the  leaves  and   flowers; 
Sing  thou  low.  or  loud,  or  sweet, 
All,  at  all  points,  thou  canst  not  meet." 

—Tennyson. 

This  work  is  not  an  attempt  to  solve  the  "Kiddle  of 
the  Universe,"  to  controvert  theories,  or  dispute  any  plan 
of  so-called  salvation. 

All  things  can  be  proved,  if  we  can  obtain  the  facts 
and  comprehend  the  laws. 

The  facts  must  be  self-evident,  or  demonstrable  to 
our  senses;  and,  the  number  of  the  senses  must  not  be 
limited  by  our  experience. 

Bach  mode  or  manifestation  of  individual  life,  or 
spirit  through  matter,  may  be  called  a  sense. 

Some  persons  have  five  and  some  have  twelve  senses, 
with  the  possibility  of  a  larger  number,  each  demonstrable, 
each  producing  distinct  and  independent  results. 

As  spirit  is  conscious  of  its  consciousness,  we,  there- 
fore, assume  as  a  self-evident  fact,  that: 

Individual   life  IS;. and,  that: 

Individual  life  manifesting  through  human  organism 
is  a  spirit. 

Is  the  theory  of  spirit  return  scientific? 

Does  it  best  explain  all  of  the  facts? 

Can  all  of  the  facts  ho  referred  to  an}'  other  theory? 

It  does  no1  so  much  concern  us  to  know  from  whence 
came  life  and  how  it  came,  as  to  be  assured  of  its  con- 
tinuity ami  the  conditions  under  which  it.  exists. 

It  is  important  to  know  that  it  does  not  end  with 
the  termination  of  our  existence  here.  To  know  that  it 
continues  as  a  personal,  individualized  entity;  that  it  con- 
tinues as  a  sentient,  thinking,  remembering  ego,  as  now, 

12057 


6  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

is  of  value  to  all.  To  know  this  fact  now;  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  conditions  of  the  next  existence;  to  acquire 
some  of  the  essentials  for  a  fair  start  in  that  existence  is 
of  great  value  to  all. 

To  be  of  value  it  must  be  a  knowledge,  not  a  belief. 
It  must  be  a  knowledge  based  upon  logical  inferences 
from  facts.  More  evidence  and  a  more  positive  demonstra- 
tion is  required  upon  the  question,  "If  a  man  die,  shall 
he  live  again,"  than  upon  any  other  question.  Its  solu- 
tion is  outside  of  ordinary  experience ;  and,  to  be  of  value 
the  demonstration  must  come  within  the  limitations  of 
our  reason  and  senses.  The  conclusion  must  be  deduced 
from  general  truths  established  from  all  the  facts. 

Accustomed  to  acquiring  knowledge  through  only  five 
senses  as  avenues  of  manifestation,  and  living  in  only  three 
dimensions  of  space,  we  cannot  accept  anything  beyond 
these  limitations,  unless  we  are  shown,  or  unless  we  think; 
and,  think  accurately  and  honestly.  Hence  the  impor- 
tance of  the  phenomena. 

To  those  thinkers  who  accept  the  axiomatic  truth  of 
science,  that:  "Whatever  is,  always  has  been,  and  always 
will  be,"  the  statement  of  facts  and  the  testimony  con- 
tained in  the  following  pages  will  be  sufficient  data  from 
which  to  infer  general  truths  sufficient  to  formulate  a 
code  of  ethics, — "lines  of  thought  and  rules  of  action," — 
that  will  enable  them  to  take  their  proper  place  in  the 
infinite  and  eternal  progression  which  spans  all  existence. 

We  know  that  we  live  and  that  life  is  measured  by  its 
manifestations.  No  two  lives  act  to  the  same  extent,  on 
the  same  lines,  or  with  the  same  faculties.  Grant  the 
existence  of  these  faculties,  as  we  must,  from  viewing 
the  lives  of  the  men  and  women  who  do  the  thinking  for 
the  race,  and  we  cannot  limit  them  by  our  experience, 
nor  can  we  dispute  their  facts  because  they  are  not  within 
the  range  of  our  experience,  sense  or  reason.  Phenomena 
constantly  occur  beyond  our  experience  and  unaccountable 
to  us.  These  are  none  the  less  facts  because  we  fail  to 
understand  them. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  7 

What  theory  best  covers  all  these  phenomena?  Cer- 
tainly not  the  unscientific  and  illogical  theory  of  an  irre- 
sponsible, theoretical  cause,  called  "sub-conscious  life;" 
nor  involuntary  cerebral  action:  nor  motion  and  organized 

matter:  nor  can  these  facts  be  laughed  out  of  court  by 
the  cry  of  fraud.  Something  besides  blind  force  organizes 
matter.  Fraud  and  imitation  of  things  valuable  always 
have  existed  and  probably  always  will.  Brushing  aside 
all  these  irrelevant  theories  and  imitations,  let  us  estab- 
lish our  pi-emises  and  accept  the  ^general  truths  logically 
inferred  from  our  facts;  and,  then  abide  the  deductions 
of  our  own  logic. 

Science  and  logical  reasoning  are  too  exact  to  accept 
any  materialistic  theory  to  cover  facts  which  transcend 
matter  and  its  independent  possibilities.  During  the  last 
thirty  years,  too  many  careful  thinkers  and  scientific  inves- 
tigators have  become  convinced  of  the  continuity  of  indi- 
vidual spirit  life  through  the  facts  and  phenomena  remain- 
ing, after  sifting  out  and  eliminating  the  frauds  and  imita- 
tions of  the  genuine  phenomena.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
devote  time  or  space  to  those  otherwise  great  scientists, 
thinkers  and  teachers  who  have  correlated  facts  sufficient 
to  convince  them  of  this  continuity,  but  who  still  disclaim 
to  be  spiritualists.  Nor  is  it  necessary  to  consider  those 
psychical  research  societies  and  Iluxleys  who  have  not 
had  time  to  investigate  facts  not  referable  to  their  pet 
theories. 

Spiritualism  opens  up  a  new  field  in  philosophy, 
religion  and  science.  Knowing  spiritism  to  be  a  fact  in 
nature  as  much  so  as  any  other  fact,  knowing  it  to  be  a 
logical  inference  from  well  established  and  indisputable 
data,  we  must  regard  it  as  logically  conclusive.  If  we  try 
to  account  for  these  facts  upon  any  other  hypothesis  we 
are  unscientific,  illogical  and  dishonest. 

Spirit  must  be  infinite  in  its  origin,  to  lie  immortal 
in  its  destiny.  A  beginning  signifies  an  end.  Neither 
the  beginning  nor  the  end  concerns  us  now  as  much  as  the 
interim— the   interlude,   the   tragedy   or   travesty,    as   the 


8  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

case  may  be.  For  between  the  beginning  and  the  end,  so 
to  speak,  or,  between  infinite  origin  and  unending  dura- 
tion, is  the  field  of  immortality.  Life,  the  consciousness 
of  this  stage  of  existence,  and  death,  the  commencement 
of  the  next,  are  assured.  Preparing  for  the  unending 
future  is  what  should  most  concern  us  all  while  here 
on    earth. 

The  spirit  manifesting  through  brain  may  be  what 
you  call  yourself  today.  But  the  essence  of  soul,  with 
its  secret  sources  of  life,  its  possibilities  of  divine  and 
infinite  progression,  must  be  allied  with  infinite  existence. 
It  is  co-eval  with,  but  not  a  part  of,  matter.  It  takes  on 
matter,  modified  to  its  requirements,  in  the  various  stage* 
of  its  existence.  The  knowledge  and  ability  to  modify 
aad  handle  matter  and  direct  the  forces  by  which  it  is 
controlled  is  the  secret  of  its  phenomena.  In  many  cases, 
it  is  beyond  our  senses  and  understanding,  yet  it  is  not 
supernatural.  There  is  no  supernatural  in  all  of  God's 
eternal  universe. 

"All  are  but  parts  of  one  stupendous  whole 
Whose  body  Nature  is  and  God  the  soul." 

These  forces  are  mostly  known  and  classified  by 
science.  If  the  methods  of  handling  them  were  fully 
understood,  all  of  these  occult  and  psychic  phenomena 
would  be  readily  accepted  and  full  credence  accorded  to 
the  spirit  chemist  and  scientist. 

In  spirit  life,  as  here,  not  all  are  qualified  to  pro- 
duce these  phenomena.  And,  in  both  stages  of  existence, 
essential  conditions  are  required. 

He  who  expects  the  phenomena  from  those  in  the 
next  stage  of  existence  who  are  not  expert  in  handling 
the  forces  of  the  universe,  will  be  greatly  disappointed. 

These  pages  contain  only  known  and  well  authenti- 
cated facts,  and  names  of  people  well  known  in  their 
respective  localities. 

The  purpose  of  this  work  is  not  so  much  to  write  the 
history  of  a  life  as  to  present  facts  and  incidents  that  have 
occurred   within   a   wide   range   of   time   and   place   and 


TIN  CITY     OF     LAW     AM)     LIFE.  9 

under  varied  conditions,  embracing  every  phase  of  spirit 
phenomena. 

It  is  impossible  to  write  in  specific  detail  the  life  his- 
tory of  a  single  individual.  Much  less  is  it  possible  to 
delineate  the  intricate  and  manifold  expressions  of  a  spirit 
in  manifest imr  its  wonderful  powers  through  a  sensitive 
organism  of  one  of  earth's  mortals.  It  is  not  within  the 
scope  of  our  thought  to  depict  in  words  the  transcendent 
powers  and  faculties  of  an  immortal  spirit,  by  witnessing 
its  manifestations  through  human  organisms  susceptible 
to  all  the  harmonies  and  discord  of  earth  life.  Much, 
indeed,  can  we  learn  from  such  manifestations,  but. more 
remains  to  be  told.  And,  if  we  live  faithful  to  ourselves, 
to  humanity  and  to  the  spirit  world,  we  shall  continue  to 
add  to  our  store  of  knowledge,  through  all  the  cycles 
of    eternity. 

In  what  words  can  the  hopes  and  fears  of  a  life  be 
told?  With  what  language  can  its  trials  and  its  tragedies 
be  expressed  1  What  pen  can  follow  its  ecstatic  flights 
and  in  what  colors  can  imagination  paint  the  agonies  of 
the  deaths  it  must  die  to  attain  greater  growth?  How  can 
we  portray  the  higher  conditions  and  the  glory  to  which 
it  is  lifted" 

Knowing  hereditary  traits  and  the  law,  knowing 
prenatal  conditions  and  the  dynamic  force  of  maternal 
thought,  knowing  the  effects  of  environment  and  educa- 
tion, and,  recognizing  the  spiritual  law  that,  "like  attracts 
like,"  we  might  come  near  to  predicating  results.  Know- 
ing all  these  we  might  be  able  to  understand  why  some 
possess  faculties  so  great  and  wonderful  as  to  make  us 
doubt  the  evidence  of  our  senses  and  question  the  most 
logical  conclusions. 

A  force  once  started  must  continue  until  its  legiti- 
mate consequence  is  accomplished.  The  evolution  of  the 
race  is  modified  by  every  thought  and  action  of  the  past. 
Every  contemplated  purpose  must  be  accomplished  some- 
where along  the  lines  of  life,  either  here  or  in  the  great 
hereafter  as  sure  as  effect  follows  cause. 


10         .  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Who  can  tell  how  much  we  are  working  out  for  those 
long  since  removed  from  this  plane  of  action?  And  who 
can  declare  how  much  is  due  to  hereditary,  and  how  much 
to  direct  personal  influence? 

For  a  proper  understanding  of  some  of  the  facts  and 
references  in  this  work,  the  following  incident  in  the 
drama  of  the  life  of  one  of  the  ancestors  of  the  subject 
of  whom  we  write  is  given  as  told  to  the  writer  by  one  of 
the  family.  The  incident  occurred  in  France,  when 
ecclesiastical  thought  was  dominant  and  sustained  by  law. 


CHAPTER  I. 


THE    CHATEAU    BERIiEAUX. 


This  castle,  in  feudal  times,  was  the  ancestral  home 
of  the  house  of  the  De  Conchies,  a  race  of  proud,  impulsive 
people,  who  rejected  all  efforts  of  the  Catholic  clergy  to 
induce  them  to  join  that  dominant  power.  The  Chateau 
is  one  of  those  ancient  edifices  characteristic  of  the  times, 
with  low.  broad  porches,  covered  with  time-grown  vines 
and  surrounded  with  rare  and  exotic  flowers  and  beauti- 
ful grounds  indicative  of  wealth  and  refinement.  Ancient 
forests  lay  bet  ween  it  and  the  sea,  which  is  visible  from 
the  high  ground  upon  which  the  castle  and  its  many  build- 
ings for  servants  and  stables  are  situated. 

The  only  person  present  is  a  stately  lady,  apparently 
about  65  years  old.  with  oval  face,  large,  luminous  gray 
gray,  crinkly  hair,  dressed  high  and  pompadour,  and 
held  in  position  by  a  diamond  comb  and  clasp.  She  is 
dressed  in  black  silk,  trimmed  with  purple  velvet— dress 
cut  low — running  to  a  "v"  shape,  filled  in  with  cream- 
colored  Lace,  fastened  with  a  large  cameo  pin  set  with 
diamonds.  She  stands  on  the  porch  with  hand  shading 
her  eyes,  and  looking  long  and  earnestly  down  the  broad 
drive-way  that  leads  to  the  main  load  winding  away 
among  the  large  trees.  A  single  horseman  appears  and 
gallops  up  the  drive-way.  lie  dismounts  at  the  steps  and 
salutes  the  lady. 

"How  now,  good  mother,  why  brooding  shadows 
among  these  goodly  flowers?" 

"Louis,  my  noble  son,  the  air  Beems  strangely  filled 
with  evil  wings  -dark  shadows-  strange  feelings  that  those 
thy  hand  hath  fed  and  fostered  bode  thee  no  good." 

The  pei-son  ihus  addressed  is  Dearly  six  feet  tall,  well 


12  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

formed,  broad  shoulders,  with  a  military  style  of  dress, 
with  golden  buckles  at  the  side  of  the  knees.  He  wears 
a  sash,  and  a  long  cloak  of  rich,  dark  material  ornamented 
with  Ducal  trimming  hangs  from  his  shoulders,  indicat- 
ing his  rank  and  position.  His  eyes  are  brown  and  his 
hair  is  dark  and  slightly  curls.  A  moustache  and  goatee 
of  a  slightly  darker  shade  sets  off  his  nearly  oval  face  to 
fine  advantage.  His  round,  well-shaped,  dimpled  chin 
indicates  great  strength  and  firmness.  A  pleasant  smile 
about  the  mouth  and  lips,  his  easy  grace  and  movements, 
shapely  hands  and  feet  indicate  aristocratic  birth  and 
lineage.  His  dress,  general  appearance  and  surround- 
ings are  characteristic  of  the  old  Huguenot  families. 

A  second  horseman— some  years  older  than  the  first 
—well  mounted,  and  with  the  appearance  of  having  rid- 
den far  and  fast,  dashed  up  the  broad  avenue;  and,  hand- 
ing bridle  to  the  ready  attendant,  hastily  ascended  the 
steps. 

"How  now,  uncle,  why  this  haste  and  hard  riding?" 

With  a  courtly  salute  to  the  lady,  he  grasped  the  hand 
of  the  younger  man,  saying :  ' '  Ah,  good  Duke,  my  nephew, 
I  have  indeed  ridden  hard  and  many  a  league  to  warn  you 
of  danger  that  threatens.  Even  now  methinks  the  sound 
of  chaise  and  hoof  falls  upon  my  ear.  You  must  flee  'ere 
the  minions  of  the  Church  come. ' ' 

' '  What !  I  a  coward !  To  leave  my  mother  when 
danger  threatens  ?    No,  no !    Ask  it  not. ' ' 

"But,  my  noble  son,  think  of  the  prison,  the  loath- 
some cell  and  years  of  living  death!  Worse  than  death 
to  me.  I  will  only  be  happy  to  know  you  breathe  the 
free  air." 

"Nay,  nay,  mother;  it  is  my  pleasure,  my  honor,  to 
protect  you." 

"But,  dear  son,  the  servants  will  defend  me.  You 
must  be  saved. ' ' 

"Dear  nephew;  time  passes, — even  now  hear  you  not 
the  convent  bells  1    They  may  be  the  signal.    You  must  go. " 

"Nay,  Charlier,  life  is  nothing  to  honor." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  13 

"But.  Duke,  think  of  the  prison  and  the  years  of 
terrible  solitude.  Creeds  have  no  mercy.  The  Church  has 
no  love  for  heretics.  Come,  come;  your  best  armor  and 
trusty  steed." 

"Mireio,  Mireio,"  called  the  Duke,  in  accents  modu- 
lated by.  love  and  anxiety. 

A  young  girl— about  14  or  16  years  old— fair  as  the 
sunshine,  bright  as  the  exotic  flowers  that  bloom  in  the 
conservatory,  and  with  a  voice  rivaling  the  birds  in  the 
stately  trees,  came  tripping  from  an  inner  room. 

"Why,  Piere:  why  this  anxiety?  Why  those  tones  of 
sadness?" 

"Daughter,  dear;  I  go,  I  flee  from  menacing  danger." 

"Do  I  go  too?" 

"Nay,  nay,  daughter  dear.  A  lock  of  thy  hair,— a 
talisman  to  me,— to  wear  next  to  the  heart  that  beats 
for  you." 

"But  suppose  it  be  a  snare?"  (She  cuts  a  curl.  He 
places  it  in  his  vest.) 

"Ah,  my  noble  son;  here  comes  Le  Paire,  the  priest. 
Now  let  us  all  greet  him  merrily." 

' '  What,  now,  Le  Paire,  can  we  do  to  please  you  ?  What 
have  you  to  say  ? ' ' 

" '  Xoble  Duke,  for  this  house  that  never  produced 
aught  but  brightest  intellect  and  splendid  courage,  I  have 
ever  prayed  to  ally  itself  with  the  Holy  Catholic  Church 
and  with  great  power  to  thee  from  such  alliance." 

Charlier—  (aside)  :  "I  must  have  his  cowl  and  gown." 
"Ah.  Le  Paire;  good  father;  join  us  in  good  wine,  as  we 
have  ridden  far;  and,  perchance,  you  too,  are  weary  with 
many  absolutions." 

(The  Duke  orders  wine  as  Charlier  drops  something 
into  a  glass  he  hands  to  the  priest,  who  soon  sleeps.  They 
lay  him  on  a  divan  and  divest  him  of  cowl,  gown  and 
crucifix.) 

•     The  Duke  dons  a  coat  of  mail  taken  from  a  safe  and 
puts  it  on  under  his  clothes. 

At  this  moment  a  chaise  comes  up  the  drive  at  a  rapid 


14  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

pace.  The  footman  opens  the  door  and  announces  in  a 
loud  voice,  "The  Chateau  Berleaux. "  A  gentleman  hastily 
steps  out  and  mounts  the  steps. 

Both  the  Duke  and  Charlier  exclaim,  "Ah,  Sir  Rich- 
ard, what  now?    What  brings  you  to  the  continent?" 

"I  come  to  bid  you  hasten  your  flight.  I  am  none 
too  soon.  Hear  you  not  the  convent  bells  ?  It  is  the  signal 
to  surround  your  estate.  One  must  go  away  from  home  to 
hear  secrets  of  State  and  Church." 

The  last  arrival  was  none  other  than  Sir  Richard 
Chelten  of  Cheltenham  Forge,  and  a  great  friend  of  the 
family. 

"Dear  son,  one  salute,  time  flies.  The  Iron  Hand 
points  to  the  sea." 

The  Duke  and  his  uncle  then  hastily  mounted  and 
with  adieux  to  all,  galloped  swiftly  down  the  drive,  out 
into  the  road  and  out  of  sight.  When  once  in  the  woods 
they  halted  and  dismounted  and  led  their  horses  from 
sight  of  the  road. 

The  Duke  was  first  to  speak,  saying:  "Uncle,  why 
this  deep  interest  in  me,  and  this  incurring  danger  to 
yourself  ? ' ' 

"Know  you  not  that  you  are  my  heir,  and  that  all  I 
have  is  yours?  I  can  now,  here  in  these  old  woods,  tell 
you  what  I  could  not  say  in  the  presence  of  your  mother. 
There  is  a  price  on  your  head,  and,  even  now  these  woods 
are  surrounded  by  those  who  seek  your  blood.  Don  this 
treacherous  priest's  gown  and  cowl  and  hang  this  crucifix 
over  your  neck." 

"But,  uncle,  why  dishonor  my  name  and  house  in 
the  guise  of  an  old  woman, — the  mockery  of  courage  and 
manhood  ? ' ' 

'  ■  Nay,  nay ;  good  nephew ;  think  of  the  prison  and  the 
years  of  madness,  and  the  sorrow  of  thy  good  mother,  my 
sister,  and  fair  Mireio.    Live  and  be  free." 

' '  Possibly,  these  forebodings  are  vain.  I  like  not  this 
fleeing  from  intangible  dangers.  It  seems  better  to  face 
whatever  realities  life  may  have  in  store  for  us." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  15 

,  "True,  my  good  nephew;  bu1  we,  whose  lives  reach 
back  beyond  your  time,  have  had  opportunity  to  note  that 
;i  dark  hand  has  ever  warned  our  house  of  impending 
danger.  For  thee,  as  your  noble  mother  has  said,  it  points 
to  the  sea.  You  must  know  thai  the  women  of  our  race 
are  always  conscious  of  impending  danger.  At  such  times 
ns  the  Iron  Hand  appears  to  them  and  the  air  seems  filled 
with  Maclc  wings  that  stir  and  fill  their  souls  with  gloom — 
yes.  at  such  times,  it  is  well  to  heed — to  listen,  to  act  upon 
these  subtle  vibrations  that  our  science,  as  yet,  fails  to 
grasp.  It  was  this  that  brought  me  in  haste  to  thy  castled 
home.  Noted  you  not  your  good  mother's  anxious  looks 
these  many  days  past?" 

In  silence  the  Duke  donned  the  garments  of  the  priest. 
They  fitted  him  without  a  crease  or  a  wrinkle,  so  near  alike 
in  form  and  stature  were  the  two  men. 

None  too  soon.  As  they  emerged  from  the  woods  and 
turned  a  bend  in  the  road  they  were  halted  by  a  squad 
of  men. 

The  officer  in  command  said:  "By  my  faith,  who 
knows  but  that  priest's  garb  may  conceal  him  whom 
we   seek. ' ' 

Charlier  quick  to  reply,  said:  "Detain  me  not  for  I 
conduct  this  good  priest  to  the  bedside  of  my  brother  who 
is  dying  to  be  absolved    ere  it  is  too  late." 

"On  with  yon  and  your  priest.  We  seek  not  to  deny 
absolutions  to  the  dying." 

Out  of  the  woods  away  from  this  goodly  estate,  the 
ancestral  home  of  a  long  and  honorable  line  rode  the  two 
men  in  si  1  cure,  each  busy  with  his  own  thoughts.  One 
leaving  all  that  was  dear  to  the  heart— "a  world  of  love 
at  home:"— the  other  loyal  to  his  kinsman  at  any  cost. 

They  came  to  the  uncle's  estate.  Turning  in  at  an 
unfrequented  lane,  they  came  to  what  appeared  to  be  the 
Lodge  of  a  tenant  some  distance  from  the  castle.  An  old 
man  came  "ill  and  led  the  horses  away  and  the  two  men 
entered  and  closed  and  Locked  the  door.  Taking  a  light 
the  elder  said:    "Follow  me." 


16  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Seated  in  a  room  within  the  castle,  the  uncle  spoke: 
"Now  my  good  nephew  we  are  safe  to  plan  and  to  act." 

"Plan  what,  how  act?  Must  I  play  the  part  of  a 
fugitive,  and  from  what  and  for  what?" 

"From  bigotry,  my  dear  boy.  It  is  but  the  penalty 
for  independent  thought.  But  let  us  to  our  chambers  for 
rest  and  sleep,  and  when  the  time  is  ripe  we  will  act." 

It  is  not  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  this  work  to 
follow  the  Duke  De  Corichie  to  London,  where  he  remained 
with  his  friend,  Sir  Richard,  until  joined  by  his  mother, 
his  daughter  and  his  son  Henri,  and  their  subsequent  sail- 
ing for  the  Colonies  of  America.  The  record  of  the  hun- 
dreds of  these  families  who  came  to  the  Colonies  from  the 
date  of  the  sailing  of  the  vessel  "Nassau  of  Paul"  up  to 
the^year  1800  is  incomplete.  The  account  herein  given  was 
furnished  by  the  grandfather  of  the  subject  of  this  work, 
and  is  corroborated  by  records  of  the  Streight  family  of 
Marion  County,  Virginia — a  family  that  figured  prom- 
inently in  the  history  of  the  early  settlement  of  the  State, 
and  the  early  Indian  troubles.  The  story  of  the  Huguenots 
and  their  persecutions  on  account  of  their  spiritual  dis- 
sensions from  the  Catholic  Church  has  been  told  in  history. 

This  experience  of  the  ancestors  of  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord 
is  here  related  as  data  for  those  students  along  heredi- 
tary lines  who  may  be  impressed  with  some  of  the  hints 
and  conclusions  suggested  by  some  of  the  marked  religious 
or  church  persecutions  and  incidents  herein  related;  for 
those  who  believe  that  certain  liberal  or  theological  modes 
of  thought— that  certain  fortunes  or  misfortunes,  and 
traits,  are  transmitted — that  the  basis  for  character  build- 
ing is  laid  in  the  dim  past — that  it  is  being  laid  all  the  time; 
for  those  who  attempt  to  solve  the  greatest  of  all  problems 
—HUMAN  DESTINY— on  whose  footsteps  await  love, 
fame,  and  fortune ;  who  from  their  vantage  point  may  say, 
as  did  one  of  the  old  Huguenots: 

"Heureuse  destinee  tu  combles  mes  desirs." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  17 

.MAID    K.    LORD. 

"All.    dearly   purchased    is   the   gift, 

The  wondrous  gift  like  thine: 
A  restless  life  is  her's  who  stands 

A  priestess  at  Truth's  shrine." 

-L.  E.   L. 

Maud  E.  Lord  was  born  March  15th,  1852,  in  Marion 

County.  West  Virginia.  Her  parents  were  both  liberally 
educated  and  yet  were  thoroughly  imbued  with  religious 
teachings,  bound  and  tetbered  to  separate  creeds,  the 
mother  a  Methodist  and  the  father  a  Baptist  and  a  deacon 
in  his  church.  A  talented  man,  yet  prejudiced  toward  any 
thought  and  any  body  that  questioned  or  who  interfered 
with  his  religion.  A  blind  devotee,  kneeling  at  his  shrine 
and  conforming  to  the  teachings  of  his  church ;  and,  inclined 
to  defend  his  faith  and  his  rights  at  all  hazards.  Her 
mother  was  born  and  raised  amid  the  romantic  scenery  of 
the  Alleghany  Mountains,  in  comparative  ease  and  luxury, 
with  slaves  to  do  her  every  bidding.  Such  lives  pass  with- 
out incentive  to  much  thought  of  progress,  until  condi- 
tions evolve  inbred  qualities. 

The  fourth  child  born  to  Sarah  J.  and  Phillip  S. 
P>arrock  marked  an  epoch  in  their  lives.  This  child  was 
destined  to  jostle  their  faith  and  set  them,  as  well  as 
thousands  of  others,  to  thinking.  The  mother  constantly 
dreamed  that  the  child  would  be  out  of  the  ordinary,  and 
was  laughed  at  by  her  husband  for  what  he  called  her 
superstition. 

What  was  the  consternation  of  both  of  these  ultra 
religious  people  when  the  child  was  born  with  a  double 
veil  over  her  face.  The  father  with  all  of  his  religious 
prejudice  aroused  was  certain  that  the  Devil  had  something 
to  do  with  this  veil,  and  much  serious  thought  did  he  give 
this  child  in  later  years  in  his  effort  to  drive  out  this  Devil. 

The  mother  persistently  averred  that  there  was  much 
writing  on  this  veil,  which  so  frightened  her  that  she  dared 
not  read  it,  but  caused  it  to  be  hastily  buried  in  the  yard 
to  exorcise  any  evil  spell  it  might  possibly  herald  to  the 
new-born  babe. 


18  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Trouble  commenced  early  with  this  child.  While  yet 
barely  able  to  creep,  peculiar  occult  power  made  itself  man- 
ifest. Sometimes  luminous  lights  were  seen  about  her, 
electric  sparks  would  fly  from  her  hair,  and  scintillations 
in  the  dark,  seemingly  from  her  eyes.  The  magnetic  forces 
were  so  strong  that  they  produced  a  tingling  sensation  in 
the  nurse's  arms  so  that  she  was  willing  to  drop  her  on 
short  notice.  As  a  result,  the  colored  servants  left  the 
child  very  much  to  herself,  with  only  such  care  as  was 
absolutely  necessary. 

As  days  and  weeks  passed,  this  power  or  force  seemed 
to  increase  with  the  growth  of  the  child,  developing  a 
strange  desire  on  her  part  to  creep  into  dark  corners, 
behind  doors  and  under  the  bed, — anywhere  out  of  the 
light  and  bustle  of  the  household;  and  an  equally  strong 
desire  on  the  part  of  all  members  of  the  family  to  let  her 
severely  alone, — conditions  possibly  essential  to  more  per- 
fect development. 

Sometimes  for  long  hours  at  a  time  she  would  be  lost 
to  the  mother,  who,  strange  to  say  of  one  so  romantic  and 
gentle  by  nature  and  environment,  was  averse  to  handling 
this  little  bundle  of  magnetic  sensations.  Sometimes  when 
found,  if  in  the  dark,  there  would  be  a  wonderful  emana- 
tion of  light  from  the  head  and  the  eyes  would  be  lumin- 
ous. These  strange  things  gave  the  mother  a  feeling  akin 
to  horror  and  caused  her  to  exclaim,  ' '  What  is  it  ? "  "  What 
is  it  ? "  At  times  the  child  would  refuse  to  come  out  of  the 
dark  places,  and  in  fear  and  horror  the  mother  would  have 
to  take  a  stick  to  make  her  come  out  into  the  light,  where 
the  force  was  not  as  strong. 

SPIRIT   HANDS   ROCK   THE   CRADLE. 

Sometimes,  when  the  child  slept,  the  cradle  would  be 
rocked  by  invisible  hands,  creating  a  feeling  in  the  minds 
of  these  ultra-religious  parents  that  the  evil  one  cared  for 
his  own.  The  mother  could  not  divest  her  memory  of  her 
former  dreams  that  the  child  was,  in  some  strange,  mysteri- 
ous way,  destined  to  be  her  solace  and  salvation.     During 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  19 

these  times  of  creeping  into  dark  places,  voices  would  be 
heard  talking  to  the  child  Sometimes  the  mother  would 
hoar  singing  and  the  sound  as  of  Borne  one  affectionately 
kissing  the  child.  In  the  morning  her  hair  would  be  beauti- 
fully curled,  often  tied  with  ribbons,  as  though  some  invisi- 
ble nurse  had  been  "given  charge  concerning"  this  sir, 
child.  To  the  devotees  of  creed,  to  those  dominated  by 
ecclesiastical  thought,  there  was  only  one  solution  for  all 
these  things.  One  insidious,  corroding  thought  assailed 
them.  The  devil  possessed  one  of  their  children.  AW  their 
fervent  prayers  availed  nothing. 

Time  passed.  The.  little  girl,  when  five  years  old.  still 
had  her  unseen  playmates,  real  to  her.  in  all  her  play. 
Articles  mysteriously  changed  places,  even  in  the  Light.  If 
anything  was  lost  or  mislaid,  she  found  it.  The  animals 
seemed  to  love  and  obey  her.  She  talked  to  the  trees  and 
flowers.  She  told  her  mother  she  could  hear  them  singing 
in  fair  weather  and  telling  of  the  coming  of  storms  at 
other  times,  the  verification  of  which  astonished  them  all. 
She  was  always  accurate  in  predictions.  To  their  religious 
souls  there  could  be  only  one  explanation. 

A   SPIRIT    WRITES   A    PRKSCRIPTK  >X. 

At  about  this  time  a  strange  and  wonderful  thing  hap- 
pened. The  child,  for  she  had  not  yet  been  named,  was  in 
the  log  cabin  of  one  of  the  colored  servants  when  a  kettle 
of  boiling  lye  was  upset  by  the  fove-log  having  burned 
away  in  the  fireplace.  The  contents  of  the  kettle  was 
spilled  over  her  arms,  body  and  limbs  as  she  sat  before  the 
fireplace,  severely  burning  her.  The  old  family  physician, 
Dr.  Edson  Woodruff,  was  hurriedly  called  and  everything 
was  done  that  was  possible  to  alleviate  the  Buffering  of  the 
little  one.  The  doctor  made  several  visits  and  finally  pro- 
nounced the  case  hopeless.  At  this  visit  the  unexpected 
occurred.  The  child's  bandaged  hand  was  lifted  to  the  old 
doctor's  pocket  and  took  from  it  a  pencil;  and  before  he 
could  comprehend  what  was  done,  reaehed  to  another 
pocket  and  took  from  it  a  book  and  wrote  in  a  bold, 
legible   hand  : 


20  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"Get  pine  needles,  crush  and  mix  with  linseed  oil,  put 
between  beet  leaves  and  apply  immediately." 

The  doctor  instantly  recognized  the  writing  to  be  that 
of  a  doctor  with  whom  he  had  worked— then  dead.  Turn- 
ing in  amazement  to  the  mother,  he  exclaimed:  "What 
does  this  mean?    Can  this  child  write?" 

The  mother  with  paling  lips  exclaimed :  ' '  Oh,  doctor, 
it  is  the  Devil.  We  have  tried  to  keep  it  quiet,  but  it  is 
of  no  use.  He  always  comes  when  least  expected.  Is  it 
not  best  to  let  her  die?    He  has  been  with  her  from  birth." 

Professional  curiosity  and  pride  was  stronger  than 
fear  in  the  doctor's  mind,  and  he  answered,  "No.  That  is 
my  old  friend's  writing  and  we  will  try  his  prescription." 

It  was  tried,  and  in  a  remarkably  short  time  the  child 
reoovered,  although  troubled  for  years  from  the  effects  of 
the  terrible  burns. 

It  was  hard  for  this  religious  mother  to  believe  that 
her  child  was  not  leagued  with  the  evil  one  for  purposes 
unfathomed  by  her  troubled  soul.  All  her  earnest  prayers 
failed  to  lift  the  clouds. 

After  this  terrible  burning,  wonderful  visions  came, 
which  were  often  described  by  the  child.  She  would  speak 
in  various  languages  and  would  describe  forms  and 
give  names. 

Thus  three  years  passed.  The  country  people  had 
learned  of  these  strange  things  and  a  few  of  the  more 
curious  came  to  ask  all  manner  of  questions,  political  and 
otherwise.  As  her  father  was  quite  prominent  in  state 
affairs,  and  later  a  pronounced  Secessionist,  these  questions 
often  related  to  events  yet  to  come.  Even  the  father  was 
willing  the  Devil  should  tell  him  of  these  events,  but  he 
was  seldom  satisfied,  as  these  predictions  were  not  to  his 
liking,  telling  him,  as  she  did  quite  frequently,  that  he 
would  be  obliged  to  flee  from  the  country,  and  that  trials 
and  tribulations  were  to  come  to  him. 

At  last,  when  these  issues  were  forced  to  the  front  and 
the  mutterings  and  murmurings  of  war  were  heard,  men 
and  women  sought  this  strangely  gifted  child  to  know  what 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  21 

the  end  would  be,  yet  all  believing,  and  many  reviling  the 
supposed  Bource  of  the  informal  inn  they  Bought. 

Without   exception   they  advised   punishment   of  the 

child  for  her  prior  knowledge  of  events  which  did  not 
accord  with  their  wishes. 

Ber  parents  were  positive  in  their  determination  not 
to  educate  her.  notwithstanding  her  intense  longing  to 
learn  to  read.  The  other  children  went  to  school,  why 
should  she  be  denied  the  privilege?  Little  did  she  dream 
that  the  education  the  intelligences  would  give  her  would 
transcend  all  schools  and  all  of  the  then  known  sciences; 
that  all  books,  all  philosophies  and  all  things  should  yield 
up  their  secrets  to  her  marvelous  sense  of  psyehometry. 

Her  parents  were  too  religious  to  think  of  educating 
the  Devil.  They  also  feared  that  if  they  permitted  her  to 
go  to  school,  manifestations  would  occur  to  d  and 

scandalize  them  and  their  religion. 

She  was  now  eight  years  old.  She  was  melancholy,  but 
not  moody;  poetic,  but  not  sentimental:  more  practical  than 
the  other  children  in  all  she  was  given  to  do;  obedient, 
acting  quickly  and  cheerfully. 

Attuned  to  every  vibration  of  nature,  she  could  always 
be  found  out  of  doors,  in  the  woods,  irrespective  of  the 
weather.  She  reveled  in  the  most  terrific  storms.  Snow, 
sleet,  rain,  or  lightning  could  not  keep  her  indoors.  Every- 
thing in  nature  found  quick  response  in  her  soul.  Quick  to 
sense  injustice,  she  could  not  quite  understand  why  she 
should  be  denied  an  education.  She  longed  for  the  key  that 
would  unlock  the  mysteries  of  the  books  in  her  father's 
library. 

THE    DEVIL    IX    A    SCIIOOL   HOUSE. 

Naturally  obedient,  used  to  being  denied  every  pleasure 
given  to  other  children,  yet  something  impelled  her  to 
disobedience  in  this  particular.  Acting  quickly,  she  took 
one  of  her  father's  large  books,  the  one  containing  pictures 
she  could  not  understand,  and  putting  on  her  mother's 
best  bonnet  and  shawl  she  appeared  at  the  school. 


22  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  teacher  met  this  strange  combination  of  big  book, 
bonnet,  shawl  and  half -scared  child  at  the  door. 

"Whose  little  girl  are  you?" 

"I'm  Mr.  Barrock's  girl." 

With  surprise  the  teacher  said:  "I  didn't  know  he 
had  another  daughter." 

"Oh,  yes;  I'm  his  little  girl,  and  I  want  to  read  about 
the  pictures  in  this  book  where  the  mother  is  throwing  her 
baby  under  the  wheels  of  that  big  car.  Maybe  the  baby 
is  like  me." 

"Can  you  read?"  asked  the  teacher,  smiling  as  she 
took  the  book,  the  bonnet  and  shawl  and  led  this  brave 
seeker  after  knowledge  to  a  seat  on  a  front  bench. 

"No  ma'm,  but  I  want  to  learn." 
.    "Do  you  know  your  letters?" 

"No,  ma'm." 

More  distinct  than  ever  came  the  raps  on  the  bench. 

"You  must  keep  your  feet  still  here  in  school,"  said 
the  teacher. 

With  tears  in  her  eyes  the  child  made  no  answer,  but 
the  raps  were  still  heard. 

The  first  lesson  had  commenced.  Seeing  that  the 
child's  feet  did  not  touch  the  bench,  the  teacher  started  for 
her  own  desk.  The  bench  lifted,  at  first  one  end  and  then 
the  other,  and  started  after  her. 

The  teacher  reached  her  desk  first  and  with  an  attempt 
at  severity,  asked  the  child,  "What  is  this — what  does  it 
mean  ? ' ' 

She  could  only  repeat  what  others  had  said:  "My 
pa  says  it  is  the  Devil." 

The  children  laughed,  but  the  teacher  evidently 
thought  the  answer  correct,  for  she  immediately  dismissed 
the  school. 

Taking  the  child  home,  she  told  Mr.  Barrock  of  the 
occurrence.    She  was  punished  for  disobedience. 

Oh,  religion  and  mistaken  duty,  what  crimes  are  com- 
mitted in  thy  names ! 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  23 

She  was  awakened  the  next  morning  by  her  older 
sister,  Cordelia,  calling  and  asking  her  why  she  was  not  up. 

"It  is  not  morning,"  was  her  reply.    "It  is  so  dark." 

"No  it  is  not.  the  sun  is  up  and  everything  is  bright 
and  beautiful.     Come,  hurry  and  dress." 

"It  is  so  dark  I  cannot  see." 

8kt  was  blind. 

Shut  out  from  the  sunlight,  from  the  trees  and  the 
flowers  and  all  nature  so  loved  by  her.  her  further  efforts 
at  school  came  to  an  end. 

As  she  lay  in  her  little  cot.  suffering  and  unable  to 
cry,  dumb  in  her  agony,  unable  to  fathom  the  cause  of  all 
this  injustice  from  one  so  tenacious  of  his  own  fancied 
rights,  she  heard  the  musical  tinkle  and  jingle  of  bells— 
magical  bells— signal  of  the  Oriental  Master's  presence. 

The  darkness  seemed  to  change  into  a  strange,  beauti- 
ful light,  tilling  all  the  room  without  shadow  or  reflection, 
and  she  saw  a  kindly-faced  old  man  standing  before  her. 
In  a  very  pleasant  voice  he  said : 

"Well,  little  girl,  you  are  punished  for  disobedience." 

"Yes,  sir.     I  suppose  so." 

You  must  always  do  just  as  your  parents  tell  you." 

"With  this  he  touched  the  bruised  places  on  her  body 
and  all  pain  left. 

Before  leaving  he  told  her  that  if  she  would  follow  his 
instructions  she  should  learn  to  read  and  write. 

She  eagerly  promised. 

He  told  her  to  go  to  a  certain  tree  across  the  creek  at 
a  certain  hour  each  day  and  wait  until  they  came  to  her. 

INVISIBLE    TEACHERS. 

Day  after  day,  and  week  after  week,  in  all  kinds  of 
weather,  she  was  at  the  appointed  place. 

In  nature's  great  kindergarten,  with  the  music  of  run- 
ning wairix  ;ni(l  the  rhythm  mad.-  by  the  swaying  of  the 
great  trees,  they  taught  her  letters  and  words— to  read  and 
to  write.  They  wenl  farther  and  unfolded  the  secrets  of 
nature  and  filled  her  soul  with  the  beautiful  moral  lessons 
of  life  and  of  creative  laws. 


24  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Thus  came- to  her  all  the  beautiful  imagery,  clothed 
sometimes  in  classical  language,  but  more  often  in  language 
direct  from  the  heart,  that  in  after  years,  electrified,  pleased 
and  led  men  and  women  to  better,  cleaner  and  more 
useful  lives. 

Those  days  in  the  woods,  blind  and  isolated  from  all 
others,  she  was  in  direct  communication  with  nature  and 
nature's  forces.  With  her  back  to  the  grand  old  tree  that 
guarded  the  laughing  brook,  whose  rippling  waters  made 
music  in  her  soul,  she  drank  deep  from  nature 's  fount,  from 
the  eternal  and  infinite  source  of  all  learning,  all  science 
and  all  inspiration.  In  these  negative  conditions,  essential 
to  all  growth,  was  laid  the  basis  on  which  was  to  be  evolved 
a  character  that  time  and  life's  many  vicissitudes  could 
not.  affect. 

Imagine  her  parents'  surprise  and  holy  consternation 
when  they  learned  that  she  could  read  and  spell  better  than 
the  other  children.  Again  and  again  they  asked  her  how 
she  had  acquired  so  much.  She  told  them  and  they  believed 
it  was  the  work  of  the  Devil. 

TALKS   FRENCH. 

Among  those  who  came  to  visit  the  family,  during  this 
time  of  blindness,  was  a  neighbor,  Mrs.  La  Farge,  a  French 
woman.  Suddenly  the  child  began  to  shake  and  quiver 
and  became  very  pale.  The  woman  being  alone  with  her  in 
the  room,  was  exceedingly  frightened,  supposing  she  had  a 
spasm.  Instantly  the  trembling  ceased  and  a  man's  voice, 
in  excellent  French,  addressed  her  by  a  name  none  had 
ever  called  her  but  her  father,  who  yet  remained  in  France. 

The  voice  said:  "Daughter,  I  am  no  more  of  earth. 
I  have  died,  but  yet  I  am  not  dead.  Somehow  I  see  you 
and  move  about  you,  but  you  never  seemed  to  have  heard 
me  until  now. ' ' 

Richard  Devoe  was  her  father's  name.  When  last 
heard  from  he  was  alive  and  well.  He  told  her  the  next 
mail  but  one  would  bring  the  news  of  his  death.  The  lady 
believed,    but    was    sore    afraid,    and    wept    convulsively, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  25 

destroying  all  pleasure  of  the  afternoon's  visit.  Remem- 
ber, oh.  ye  Bkeptics,  thai  this  was  all  told  her  in  French, 
spoken  fluently  and  glibly  as  by  a  native,  whereas  the  child 
spoke  no  language  except  English.  Many  were  told  of  the 
circumstances  and  of  the  news  the  mail  was  to  bring  from 
across  the  sea.  They  waited  expectantly.  It  came  as  fore- 
told, bearing  to  Mrs.  La  Farge  the  tidings  of  her  father's 
demise.  She  was  a  devout  Catholic,  and.  of  course,  told 
the  priest,  who  pronounced  against  it  as  one  of  God's  curses 
which  caused  her  to  look  with  fear  upon  the  whole  family 
thereafter. 

FINDS   LOST   PAPERS. 

Mr.  Hurlburt,  a  neighbor,  came  to  her  father  in  great 
distress,  saying  he  had  lost  papers  of  great  value.  If  they 
could  not  be  found  he  was  on  the  verge  of  financial  ruin. 
He  suspected  that  his  little  four-year-old  son  had  burned 
them,  as  his  mother  had  entered  the  room  one  day  just  in 
time  to  see  the  little  fellow  laugh  gleefully  over  a  flash  of 
fire  in  the  old-fashioned  fireplace.  That  was  the  only  expla- 
nation of  the  c 

While  talking,  the  door  opened  and  in  walked  "Little 
Blind  Eyes, ' '  straight  up  to  the  troubled  neighbor  and  said  : 
"Go  home  and  take  great  pains  in  following  our  direction. 
Open  the  top  drawer,  remove  it  entirely,  feel  carefully,  and 
mind  what  we  say— back  of  the  drawer  and  down  a  little 
lower  than  the  drawer,  you  will  find  the  pap 

The  good  church '  member  said,  "Great  God,  what 
is  this 

Mr.  Barrock  said.  '-Von  tell.  We  think  it's  the  Devil 
or  his  imps." 

The  man  said,  "In  either  case,  if  I  find  my  papers,  I 
shall  be  glad." 

"You  will  find  them.  She  is  sure.  The  Devil  makes 
no  mistakes." 

Thus,  .in  the  wretched  atmosphere  of  doubt,  distrust 
and  misapprehension  si"'  grew  and  thrived,  working  in 

manifold    ways    the    divine   behest    of   the    Master's   loving 
minist  rants. 


26  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Life  to  this  gifted  child  meant  great  conflict,  great  suf- 
fering and  provocation.  After  the  years  had  passed  which 
gave  her  a  positive  knowledge  of  the  source  from  whence 
they  came,  she  was  often  heard  to  say,  ' '  Thank  God  for  the 
burdens,  the  thorns,  the  rocks,  the  whirlwinds,  the  storms 
and  the  wrecked  hopes  of  being  educated. ' '  She  could  then 
the  more  keenly  appreciate  the  glories  of  the  gates  ajar. 

FLIGHT   FROM    THE   RAVAGES   OF  WAR   GUIDED   BY    THE   CHILD  *S 

CONTROLS. 

The  war  cloud  continued  to  grow,  and  finally  darkened 
the  whole  valley  in  which  they  lived.  The  child's  predic- 
tions were  being  verified. 

Her  father,  through  his  Southern  proclivities,  wroth- 
fully  and  publicly  proclaimed,  was  compelled  to  remove 
with  his  family — to  fly  to  some  place  where  his  liberty  and 
life  would  be  in  less  danger.  He  hastily  prepared  for  his 
departure  at  night. 

The  child  had  frequently  predicted  this  emergency. 
Possibly  she  could  help  him  now.  Though  her  father  had 
always  considered  these  strange  manifestations  as  being  the 
work  of  the  Devil,  yet  the  predictions  had  always  been  true. 
And  in  this  extreme  emergency  he  was  constrained  to  con- 
sult this  strange  power.  It  might  lead  him  out  of  difficulty 
and  shield  him  from  danger.  She  had  always  told  the 
truth,  had  found  lost  articles,  saw  things  no  one  else  could 
see,  and  possibly  she  would  pilot  him  and  the  family 
through  picket  lines,  past  Union  soldiers,  out  of  danger  to 
some  place  of  safety. 

Was  it  possible  that  this  uneducated  child  was  to  play 
an  important  part  in  his  reaching  a  place  of  safety? 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  to  try  it.  He  had  his 
choice  between  prison  and  possible  death,  or  flight  under 
the  guidance  of  what  he  believed  to  be  the  Devil. 

He  could  not  rely  upon  prayer  or  Providence,  as  his 
creed  taught.  These  were  hard  conditions  for  a  proud, 
prejudiced  deacon  in  the  church,  yet  he  was  destined  to 
faithfully   follow   the   instructions    received   through   the 


CONTIXl'ITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  27 

child's  clairvoyant  vision,  and  to  heed  her  instructions  and 
oral  directions.  Necessity  has  no  regard  for  creeds.  Go 
he  must.    And  with  hasty  preparation,  the  family  started. 

Many  and  Berions  were  tie-  difficulties  encountered,  as 
they  were  guided  by  this  superior  intelligence,  which  was 
always  so  accurate,  always  on  the  alert  They  traveled  by 
night,  resting  and  hiding  by  day.  Often  influences  from 
the  spirit  world  would  control  the  child  and  give  explicit 
instructions  and  directions,  stating  that  such  a  road  would 
be  traveled  with  safety,  or  that  such  and  such  obstructions 
were  here  and  there,  and  advising  how  to  avoid  them. 

Sometimes  the  father,  doubting  the  prediction,  would 
ride  ahead  only  to  find  his  directions  correct.  And.  on 
returning,  he  would  invariably  say:  "The  Devil  is  right. 
He  knows  this  road  pretty  well." 

Many  times  these  influences  warned  him  of  the 
approach  of  Union  soldiers,  into  whose  hands  he  feared  to 
fall,  and  at  such  times  he  only  made  his  escape  by  prompt 
action  and  implicitly  following  directions. 

On  this  journey  her  power  was  brought  into  daily, 
almost  hourly  use.  her  gift  of  clairvoyance  severely  taxed 
and  tested  by  the  skeptical  father,  who  firmly  believed  that 
he  was  consulting  the  evil  one  upon  each  occasion  of  his 
necessity.  Often  he  would  draw  her  into  some  quiet  nook 
and  ask  Ikt  to  fully  exercise  her  gifl  to  extricate  him  from 
peril,  or  to  warn  him  from  approaching  danger.  lie  would 
ask  for  words  and  countersigns  that  might  be  exchanged 
with  soldiers  should  he  meet  them  unexpectedly.  Fre- 
quently the  child  would  stop  suddenly.  Ber  face  would 
change  wonderfully,  at  times  resembling  that  of  an  old 
person,  wrinkled  and  expressing  age. 

At  such  times  they  had  learned  to  halt  and  hearken  to 
some  suggestion  of  danger,     she  would  bid  them  go  into 

the  depths  of  the  w Is.  even  cautioning  them  to  go  back 

and  put  u])  each  benl  and  broken  hush  to  conceal  their  hid- 
ing place  and  await  for  orders.  Invariably  the  reason 
would  be  explained  by  the  near  approach  of  soldiers.  At 
other  times  tlmy  would  be  as  quickly  bidden  to  go  forth. 


28  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Sometimes  it  would  necessitate  the  wanderers  to  travel  all 
night.  So  the  watch  and  ward  was  kept  over  this  family 
who  believed  that  devils  waited  the  bidding  of  their  child. 

After  months  of  travel  and  the  loss  of  two  wagons  and 
contents,  which  the  soldiers  took,  the  child  having  pre- 
viously told  them  that  the  soldiers  would  come  if  they  did 
not  move  on,  the  family  arrived  in  Iowa. 

From  the  night  when  the  family  started  from  their 
Virginia  home,  when  the  father  went  back  and  burned  all 
the  buildings  to  prevent  them  from  falling  into  the  hands 
of  the  Union  forces,  until  they  landed  near  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  this  child  had  been  his  guide.  Yet,  for  all  these  good 
offices,  religious  prejudice  offered  no  recompense.  He  could 
not  believe  other  than  his  creed  taught. 

LOCATES    COAT,. 

Having  settled  on  land  near  the  town  of  Mitchellville, 
Iowa,  the  child,  whom  the  father  now  called  "Kit"  and 
sometimes  "Gypsy,"  would  go  over  the  ground  with  him 
for  the  purpose  of  locating  coal.  He  was  now  willing  the 
evil  one  should  assist  him.  Placing  her  head  upon  the 
earth  she  would  tell  him  just  how  deep  and  how  large  the 
deposits  were.  He  would  often  say  if  the  coal  was  not 
there  he  would  whip  her,  but  the  influence  seemed  never  to 
falter  or  fail.  Other  mineral  and  water  was  located  with 
the  same  unerring  accuracy. 

On  one  occasion,  when  locating  this  coal  with  her  head 
close  to  the  ground,  the  father  conceived  the  idea  that  she 
must  smell  it.  He,  like  many,  could  only  receive  know- 
ledge through  some  of  his  five  senses.  He  accordingly  put 
his  nose  to  the  ground  and  smelled.  Rising  in  anger,  this 
deacon  of  the  church  said:  "I  can't  smell  it.  The  Devil, 
or  whatever  it  may  be,  must  have  a  good  nose." 

In  later  years,  this  power  to  locate  coal  was  of  great 
value  and  use  to  Professor  AYorthen,  the  State  Geologist  of 
Illinois,  to  which  state  the  family  soon  after  moved. 

They  settled  not  far  from  Warsaw.  The  war  was  still 
in  progress  and  the  father,  bitter  over  losses,  prejudiced 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  29 

against  Northern  sentiment,  and  always  angered  at  Union 
successes,  became  known  as  a  member  of  the  "Knights  of 
the  Golden  Circle."  His  ability  readily  made  him  a  leader 
among  the  advocates  of  Southern  ideas. 

PREDICTS  ISSUES  OF  THE  WAR. 

At  this  time  there  was  shown  a  disposition  on  the  part 
of  her  controls  to  report  movements  of  troops,  foretell 
events,  accidents,  battles  and  the  final  defeat  of  Southern 
principles,  and  the  ending  in  favor  of  the  North.  That 
thousands  would  be  slain.  All  this  was  told  with  accuracy, 
as  future  events  showed,  through  the  medinmship  of  this 
girl  who  read  no  newspapers,  no  books,  no  letters,  and  who 
heard  do  discussions.  These  influences  said  that  -4,000,000 
soldiers,  counting  both  sides,  would  be  involved  in  this 
struggle. 

One  day  Mr.  Davis,  a  neighbor,  called  and  shrinkingly 
and  shyly  asked  her  father  if  the  Devil,  who  had  possession 
of  his  daughter,  had  told  him  the  issue  between  the  North 
and  the  Sonth.  The  father  told  him  what  had  been  said. 
He  hesitatingly  said.  ''I  would  like  to  call  him  up.  Brother 
Barrock,  if  you  think  it  proper."  Her  father  assented,  and 
called  the  child  in  and  asked  for  the  influence.  She  was 
immediately  controlled  and  spoke  with  fiery  vehemence  and 
inspiring  eloquence  to  those  wonder-stricken  men.  who  sat 
with  lips  apart  in  speechless  amazement  that  this  unedu- 
cated child  eould  speak  with  such  matchless  eloquence  and 
lofty  sentiment,  honoring  God  with  tenderest  praise  and 
quoting  the  most  beautiful  thoughts  from  the  highest 
authorities. 

The  influence  spoke  of  the  war.  how  long  it  would 
last  and  how  terrible  a  sacrifice  it  would  prow  to  many  lov- 
ing mothers,  wives  and  Bisters.  The  good  old  Puritan 
brother  thought  it  strange,  passing  strange,  that  this  unedu- 
cated girl  knew  the  good  hook  so  well  and  could  thus  rep- 
resent the  highest  minds  thai  had  existed.  They  eould  not 
understand  the  kind,  beneficent   Master's  love.     That  lie 

had  sent   ministering  angelfl  to  answer  their   prayers.      To 


30  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

them  it  seemed  unlawful  to  consult  such  strange  and,  as 
they  thought,  wicked  influences.  Thus  they  argued  and 
thus  they  spoke,  saying :  "It  is,  it  must  be  some  power  of 
the  Devil,"  and  consequently,  they  stopped  the  child.  She 
was  harshly  chidden  and  sent  out  to  play  while  they  pon- 
dered over  these  most  mystifying  manifestations. 

She  fretted  and  vexed  her  relatives  greatly  when 
neighbors  or  even  strangers  called.  If  she  happened  to  be 
present,  she  would  always  place  chairs  for  these  people 
whom  no  one  else  saw.  Placing  the  chair,  she  would  say, 
' '  Would  you  not  rather  sit  ? ' '  Sometimes  she  would  carry 
on  prolonged  conversations  before  an  empty  chair.  The 
visitor,  thinking  the  child  was  crazy  or  weak-minded,  would 
often  ask  questions. 

-  To  their  horror  and  amazement  they  would  find  that 
she  could  reveal  the  family  secrets,  give  names  of  their 
dead  friends  and  call  the  living  by  name.  She  would  send 
characteristic  messages  home,  sometimes  revealing  much- 
needed  information  and  telling  them  where  to  find  hidden 
papers  or  property. 

There  are  hundreds  of  persons  living  today  who  can 
testify  to  these  facts.  Through  her  wonderful  mediumship 
she  gave  them  perfect  assurance  of  the  guardianship  of 
their  departed  friends.  Murders  were  sometimes  revealed, 
though  not  often,  as  these  influences  seemed  to  condemn 
capital  punishment.  There  was  scarcely  a  day  of  her  life 
that  she  did  not  in  some  way  give  evidence  of  this  start- 
ling power. 

During  these  years  many  people  sought  to  learn  what 
this  strange  power  was,  but  gave  it  up  after  a  few  attempts. 
Influenced  by  the  opinion  of  her  parents,  they  left,  believ- 
ing it  unlawful  and  sinful,  and  believing  the  child  should 
be  put  where  she  could  do  no  harm. 

Yet,  this  was  hardly  half  way  back  in  the  century 
which  was  so  full  of  advanced  thought,  of  freedom  and 
progress,  and  this  too,  in  a  great  free  western  state. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AM)     LIFE  31 

WRITES  GERMAN. 

The  mother  tells  of  a  strange  experience  that  came  to 
them  while  living  near  Hamilton,  Illinios.  The  child  had 
oeen  writing  on  a  slate  belonging  to  the  older  children.  A 
few  days  later  a  man  came  to  the  door  and  asked  if  he 
could  remain  over  niizht.  No  Southern  gentleman  ever 
turned  a  stranger  from  Ins  door  at  night.  The  mother 
said  she  "reckoned"  he  could  stay. 

The  gentleman  was  a  well-to-do  German  of  more  than 
ordinary  intelligence.  After  the  evening  meal  he  was 
invited  into  the  sitting  room.  As  he  took  a  scat  near  the 
table  he  noticed  the  slate  on  which  the  child  had  made  such 
strange  letters.  He  picked  it  up  and  with  a  sudden  excla- 
mation he  said.  "Who  writes  German  in  this  hous 

The  mother  replied,  "No  one  here  writes  German." 

"This  is  German  and  looks  very  familiar.  I  will 
read  it." 

The  more  he  read,  the  greater  was  his  astonishment 
and  excitement.  As  he  came  to  the  signature  all  the  Ger- 
man in  him  was  aroused  and  he  forgot  his  polish  and 
his  English. 

"Mine  <i<'t."  he  exclaimed.  "Das  ist  mine  fadder's 
namen.  He  tells  me  where  I  find  dat  land  for  which  I 
am  looking." 

It  seems  that  he  was  looking  for  land  left  him  by  his 
father  who  had  been  dead  for  some  years.  The  writing  on 
the  slate  gave  him  the  sections  by  number  and  located 
corners  of  the  land  he  was  seeking.  He  Found  the  land  as 
described  on  the  slate,  offered  to  pay  for  the  information 
and  was  profuse  in  his  thanks.  lie  said  he  never  believed 
in  such  things  before. 

TKI.I.S  NEIGHBORS  OF  AX  ACCIDENT. 

While  living  at  this  same  place,  the  child  came  run- 
ning into  the  house  and  told  her  mother  that  a  big  barn 
door  had  fallen  upon  old  Mr.  Burton  and  broken  his  neck. 
The  Burtons  were  their  near  neighbors. 


32  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"Who  told  you?"  said  the  mother. 

"Little  Willie  Burton." 

The  mother  hastened  over  to  the  neighbor's,  and  meet- 
ing Mrs.  Burton,  asked,  "How  did  it  happen?" 

"What  happen?"  was  the  reply. 

"My  daughter  told  me  your  little  son,  Willie,  came 
over  and  told  her  that  his  grandpa  had  his  neck  broken 
under  the  big  barn  door." 

"Neck  broken!  Under  the  big  barn  door!"  gasped 
Mrs.  Burton.  "Oh,  no.  he  is  all  right;  he  was  here  only 
a  few  minutes  ago.  My  son,  Willie!  Why,  woman,  he 
has  been  dead  these  five  years." 

Here  was  more  trouble  for  the  mother.  Confused  and 
embarrassed,  she  tried  to  pass  off  the  incident  as  a  mis- 
take. "My  daughter  is  always  saying  strange  things,"  she 
said  in  apology. 

There  was  a  strange,  anxious  expression  on  Mrs.  Bur- 
ton's face  as  she  looked  at  her  new  neighbor.  Looking 
toward  the  barn  for  the  old  gentleman  who  was  in  delicate 
health,  he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  Finally,  both  women 
went  to  look  for  him.  They  found  the  great  door  unhinged 
on  the  ground.  Underneath  lay  the  old  gentleman  with  his 
neck  broken. 

At  another  time,  the  child  told  the  father  that  in  an 
old  unoccupied  building  some  two  miles  from  the  house,  a 
man  was  hung  up  by  a  rope. 

Not  believing,  he  refused  to  go,  but  on  the  following 
day  the  body  was  found  as  described. 

MORE  THAN  THEY  EXPECTED. 

While  living  near  Warsaw,  Dr.  Phelps  and  his  brother 
visited  Mr.  Bar  rock  to  investigate  the  doings  attributed  to 
the  child  and  to  expose  the  trick.  They  came  away  con- 
vinced, when  another  relative  who  thought  himself  much 
smarter,  named  Matt  Phelps,  and  Doctor  William  Park- 
hurst,  who  thought  he  knew  just  how  to  expose  the  trick, 
visited  Mr.  Barrock's  home. 

In  going  to  the  house  they  met  a  girl  about  nine  or  ten 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  33 

years  old  riding  a  spirited  horse  at  break-neck  speed.  She 
was  standing  up  on  the  horse's  back  and  seemed  to  be  per- 
fectly at  home  in  her  style  of  riding.  How  sin-  kept  on 
the  horse's  back  was  a  marvel  to  them.  They  came  to  the 
house  and  found  no  one  at  home  excepting  the  mother, 
Mrs.  Barrock. 

They  explained  the  object  of  their  visit,  when  she  told 
them  that  she  feared  it  was  the  influence  of  "the  Devil" 
and  nothing  else.  They  told  her  they  had  come  to  expose 
the  trick  and  show  her  that  it  was  not  the  Devil. 

She  assured  them  the  girl  did  not  do  it  herself.  She 
told  them  to  fix  the  table  so  it  would  be  dark  underneath 
and  they  would  get  raps  and  maybe  something  else. 

They  placed  bottles  under  the  leirs  of  the  table,  and 
covered  it  with  a  spread,  so  as  to  hide  the  bottles.  The 
child  soon  came  in  and  was  not  in  the  happiest  frame  of 
mind  on  seeing  the  two  gentlemen  who  had  seen  her  riding 
the  horse  Indian  fashion,  for  fear  they  would  tell  her 
mother  how  she  had  been  riding.  Her  mother  had  told 
them  she  was  near-sighted  and  would  not  see  the  glass  any- 
way, but  that  the  bottles  would  not  interfere  with  the 
manifestation  whatever  its  cause  might  be. 

They,  however,  kept  the  mother  away  from  the  table, 
and  as  soon  as  the  child  came  in  the  mother  said  to  her 
that  these  gentlemen  had  come  1<>  hear  the  raps.  She  and 
the  two  gentlemen  s:it  down  to  the  tabh  and  very  soon  the 
raps  eame  upon  their  chairs,  on  the  table  and  on  the  wall. 
Their  insulation  did  not  work,  or  it  worked  too  well,  for 
soon  a  hand  eame  out  from  Under  the  table  and  grabbed 
Matt  Phelps  by  the  knee  and  gave  it  a  good  shake. 

lb'  sat  on  one  side  of  the  table  by  himself  where  none 
of  the  others  could  reach  him.  and  when  his  knee  was 
grabbed  it  was  certainly  the  unexpected  t«>  him.  With  a 
whoop  he  sprang  away  from  the  table.  lb-  was  so  fright- 
ened that  all  the  others  laughed,  even  Mr.  Barrock,  who 
had  just  come  in.  laughed,  which  was  a  most  unusual  thing 
for  him.     Other  hands  appeared.      Rape  came  and  spelled 


34  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

out  names  which  were  recognized  until  the  two  who  came 
to  expose  her  mediumship  went  away  convinced. 

On  one  occasion  the  child  was  at  play  with  one  of  the 
neighbor 's  children,  a  little  paralyzed  girl.  Every  time  she 
touched  the  little  girl's  feet  she  would  cry  out,  "You  tickle 
my  foot. ' '  This  attracted  the  attention  of  the  girl 's  mother 
who  knew  there  was  no  feeling  in  the  child 's  foot.  She  was 
told  to  rub  the  foot  again.    In  time,  the  paralysis  was  cured. 

The  war  had  not  yet  ended.  Poverty  pressed  hard 
upon  this  proud  Virginia  family.  This  gifted  child,  taught 
self-reliance  by  being  left  to  herself  to  grow  up  naturally, 
became  physically  large  and  strong.  Never  eating  meat  of 
any  kind  and  seldom  vegetables,  living  mainly  on  fruits, 
nuts,  cereals,  hot  bread  and  biscuit,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
South,  she  always  enjoyed  the  best  of  health.  She  was  not 
needed  at  home.  Untaught,  but  possessing  a  wonderful 
ability  to  do  all  kinds  of  work,  she  sought  and  found  service 
with  one  of  the  neighbors. 

Labor  was  high  and  men  were  scarce.  And  in  the 
abundance  of  her  strength  she  worked  in  the  fields  to 
gather  the  corn  and  to  do  any  work  that  would  help 
the  family. 

She  was  made  to  feel,  by  the  intelligences  about  her, 
that  all  honest  labor  is  honorable,  while  idleness  is  a  sin. 
Masterful  and  majestic  when  under  these  influences,  as 
many  who  read  this  narrative  will  remember,  she  did  not, 
in  those  days  of  poverty,  hesitate  to  adapt  herself  to  the 
conditions  of  her  environment.  Her  psychic  gifts,  then 
unnamed  and  unaccountable  to  her,  grew  stronger  day  by 
day  and  were  freely  bestowed  upon  all  with  whom  she  came 
in  contact.  Some  condemned  the  influence,  not  knowing 
what  it  was.  Others  attributed  it  to  evil  spirits.  And  thus 
the  sensitive,  shrinking  girl  was  humiliated  and  made  to 
pass  through  a  thousand  Gethsemane  deaths  by  the  igno- 
rance and  intolerance  of  others. 

Through  all  these  days  of  labor  in  the  field,  and  in  the 
kitchen,  these  days  of  poverty  and  wretchedness,  the  con- 
stant visitation  of  these  unknown  influences  brought  a  cer- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  35 

tain  amount  of  comfort  to  this  sensitive  girl  who  had  gone 
shrinkingly  but  bravely  forth  to  earn  her  daily  bread. 

To  this  sensitiveness  was  added  the  fear  that  these 
influences  might  make  their  presence  known  in  unexpected 
places  to  bring  upon  her  the  scoff  and  contempt  of  her 
employers. 

These  fears  were  well  founded  for  they  came  again 
and  again,  with  persistent  revelations  and  loving  messages. 
At  all  times  and  places  and  freely  to  all,  to  be  misunder- 
stood, rejected  and  denied  by  nearly  all.  Names  of  those 
long  dead  would  be  given  under  conditions  precluding  the 
possibility  of  previous  knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  shy. 
onassximing,  old-fashioned  girl,  whose  only  happiness  was 
in  a  kind  word  or  a  smile  from  those  by  whom  she  was 
surrounded.  Failing  to  realize  even  this  slight  compensa- 
tion for  gratuitous  messages  of  love,  she  would,  with  tears, 
implore  the  unknown  and  unrecognizable  power  to  leave 
her  to  live  in  peace  like  others.  But  this  was  not  to  be.  She 
was  in  the  world  for  a  purpose.  She  was  organized  and 
intended  for  the  "Master's  work,"  manifesting  with  facul- 
ties far  beyond  the  ordinary.  She  inherited  no  condition 
of  fear  and  was  brave  for  all  emergencies.  She  was  ever 
true  to  the  polar  star  of  her  existence  and  could  not  be 
stopped  by  these  things.  These  forces  once  started  must 
accomplish  their  purpose.  They  must  break  down  the  bar- 
riers of  ignorance,  ecclesiasticism  aud  the  dogmatic  asser- 
tions of  science.  Directed  by  superior  intelligences,  mas- 
ters of  subtle,  occult  laws,  she  could  not  turn  back.  This 
wonderful  sentient  force  was  to  teach  the  race  that  power, 
purpose  and  matchless  design  extend  through  the  never- 
ending  cycles  of  time.  This  influence  from  the  spirit  side 
of  life,  magical,  deific  and  incomprehensible,  throbs  in  the 
flower  and  vibrates  in  all  created  things.    This  Deific  Force 


Warms    in    the   sun,   refreshes    in   the    breeze, 
Glows  in  the  stars,  and  blossoms  in  the  trees, 
Lives  through   all   life,   extends  through  all   extent. 
Spends  undivided,  operates  unspent; 
Breathes   in  our  soul,   informs   our   mortal   part. 
As   full,  as  perfect  in  a  hair  as  heart; 


36  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

As  full,  as  perfect  in  vile  man  that  mourns, 
As  the  rapt  seraph  that  adores   and  burns; 
To  Him,  no  high,  no  low,  no  great,  no  small; 
He  fills,  He  bounds,  connects  and  equals  all." 

That  one  majestic  spirit,  to  which  we  are  all  akin, 
moves  in  the  heart  of  all  things.  It  is  the  great,  loving, 
sleepless,  central  soul  of  all  souls,  whose  love  illumines  all 
space  and  all  life,  sanctifying  the  human  heart  and  making 
it  the  temple  of  the  Living  Gfod. 


CHAPTER  II. 

AX    UNCLE    REPORTS    HIS    OWN    DEATH. 

The  family  tell  of  a  strange  experience  that  occurred 
in  her  tenth  year. 

She  was  sitting,  one  evening,  at  a  candle  box,  with 
the  other  children,  cracking  nuts,  when  from  out  of  the 
farther  corner  a  white  object,  upon  which  the  eyes  of  the 
whole  family  were  riveted,  moved  slowly  forward.  It 
grew  dimmer  and  more  indistinct  to  the  mother  and  the 
three  older  children  as  it  came  into  the  light.  All  were 
frightened  except  "Kit,"  as  she  was  called.  To  her  eyes 
it  was  still  clear  and  distinct.  This  form  came  to  the  candle 
box  and  began  to  rap  and  continued  rapping  for  some  time 
until  one  of  the  children  asked  what  was  wanted.  They 
had  at  this  time  learned  to  obtain  answers  by  rapping  out 
the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 

The  raps  told  them  of  the  death  of  their  Uncle  Henry 
Barrock,  a  minister  living  in  Virginia,  saying  he  had  just 
been  murdered,  naming  the  place  and  the  party  who  killed 
him,  stating  that  the  man  would  be  arrested  as  he  had  been 
heard  to  say  he  would  kill  him  as  a  result  of  angry  words 
which  had  passed  between  them.  In  two  weeks  a  letter 
brought  the  verification  and  gave  the  date  of  the  funeral, 
which  showed  that  the  information  was  given  before  the 
funeral  by  raps  in  Illinois. 

SHE   HEALS   THE  SICK  — IS   BITTEN   BY   A    MAD   DOG. 

The  power  of  these  influences  grew  stronger  and 
stronger  in  this  obild-woman.  now  growing  old  under  bitter 
experience,  poverty  and  hard  work. 

Some  time  in  her  tenth  year  she  was  greatly  gifted 
with  healing  power  which  ever  after  remained  with   her. 


38  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

This  power  was  principally  exercised  among  the  poorer 
people,  curing  deformity,  paralysis,  tumors  and  contagious 
diseases,  with  perfect  immunity  to  herself. 

Many  of  the  marvelous  cures  she  performed  had  to  be 
done  in  secret,  as  these  poor  people,  actuated  by  religious 
scruples,  dared  not  face  public  opinion.  In  many  cases  she 
would  be  entranced  and  taken  into  the  woods  and  fields  and 
made  to  gather  roots  and  herbs  to  be  used  according  to 
directions. 

These  influences  showed  a  marvelous  knowledge  and 
control  over  diseases  and  the  ability  to  make  conditions, 
making  her  impervious  to  the  most  deadly  poisons.  On  one 
occasion,  when  she  was  about  ten  years  old,  she  was  bitten 
by  a  rabid  dog,  the  old  and  faithful  animal  that  had  fol- 
lowed the  family  in  all  their  wanderings  from  their  old 
Southern  home. 

A  voice  instantly  commanded  her  to  pour  ice-cold  water 
\ipon  the  wound  and  to  bind  upon  it  a  bag  of  camphor. 
The  dog  had  taken  a  large  piece  out  of  the  arm  leaving  the 
wound  covered  with  green  froth  and  saliva.  Before  he 
could  be  dispatched  a  hog'  and  a  horse  were  bitten  and 
both  had  the  rabies.  The  family  were  greatly  excited  and 
horrified.  They  awaited  for  the  sure  effect  which  could  be 
nothing  less  than  madness.  The  whole  neighborhood  was 
excited  and  all  expected  the  one  horrible  result. 

Not  so  those  wiser  intelligences  into  whose  care  and 
keeping  the  physical  health  as  well  as  the  spiritual  unfold- 
ment  of  this  child  had  been  given.  Her  magnetic  vibra- 
tions were  too  strong  to  yield  to  the  virus,  and  the  expected 
did  not  occur.  The  wound  soon  healed,  but  the  scar 
remained. 

What  is  this  magical,  individualized  force,  manifest- 
ing in  an  organization  that  defies  the  vicious  vibrations  to 
which  the  animals  yielded  so  readily,  defying  well  estab- 
lished chemical  laws  and  making  sport  of  medical  science 
and  skill?  Can  such  a  force,  with  inherent  individuality, 
made  ootential  in  its  use,  and,  bidding  defiance  to  all  other 
forces,  be  relegated  to  some  great  reservoir  of  blind  forces? 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  39 

Must  it  lose  its  individuality  when  through  with  its  present 
organization"  Must  the  world  wait  for  science  to  answer, 
or,  will  the  plain,  common  thinker  tell  us? 

The  news  of  this  wonderful  recovery  reached  far  and 
wide  and  added  to  the  fame,  the  fear  and  the  superstition 
with  which  she  was  held.  The  ignorant  and  religious  said. 
"Poison  cannot  kill  witches."  Children  were  forbidden  to 
play  with,  or  even  to  look  at  her.  Such  is  the  power  of 
inbred  thought  involved  by  religious  teachings  to  be  evolved 
on  the  great  free  prairies  of  Illinois. 

It  was  at  about  this  time  she  went  to  service  with  Mrs. 
Adams  of  Warsaw,  Illinois.  This  good  lady  kept  her  long 
enough  to  be  filled  with  secret  misgivings  that  the  girl  pos- 
sessed some  evil  genius  who  helped  her  at  all  times,  antici- 
pated her  wants  and  understood  her  wishes  even  before 
requests  were  made.  She  was  sure  some  agency,  she  knew 
not  what,  aided  her  in  her  work  and  showed  how  to  execute 
orders.  While  she  filled  every  requirement,  the  lady  told 
her  she  could  not  keep  her.  She  was  asked  by  her  husband 
why  she  did  not  keep  such  efficient  help.  She  answered.  ' '  I 
don't  quite  understand  it  myself.  She-  affects  me  so 
strangely.  Sometimes  I  feel  a  heavy  sleep  fall  upon  me, 
and  again  I  tremble  and  shake.  I  don't  want  her.  I  won't 
have  her;  it's  the  girl,  I  know."  Thus  ended  her  service 
with  Mrs.  Adams.  She  readily  understood  the  reasons  of 
her  dismissal.  In  after  years  Mrs.  Adams  became  a  good 
medium.  The  above  condition  is  satisfactorily  explained  to 
all  who  understand  this  peculiar  phase  of  development. 

Thus,  again,  the  cold,  hard  hand  of  pressing  necessity 
was  upon  her.  She  must  work.  She  must  be  self-support- 
ing. Why  is  it  that  best  thought  must  come  from  condit  ions 
of  poverty;  that  the  energy  producing  the  grandest  intel- 
lectual and  spiritual  results  cannot  come  from  ease  and 
luxurious  surroundings?  She  soon  found  another  place  at 
Mrs.  Baxter's,  where  more  trouble  awaited  her. 


40  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

A    SPIRIT    ASSISTS    HER    AT    WORK. 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  a  September  day  when 
she  arrived  at  Mr.  Baxter's  home.  After  tea,  and  after 
prayers  were  said,  in  which  she  joined  heartily,  she  was 
shown  her  bed  and  retired. 

She  had  scarcely  touched  her  bed  before  a  charming 
little  girl  climbed  upon  the  bed  and  began  her  prattle 
about  her  coming  to  stay  with  papa  and  mamma  and  that 
she  was  so  glad  she  would  help  her  get  breakfast,  saying 
she  knew  just  where  the  things  were  for  the  meal  and  the 
table;  and,  at  such  an  hour,  she  would  waken  her. 

Promptly  at  the  hour  she  was  awakened  and  com- 
menced the  work  of  preparing  breakfast  with  the  advice 
of  the  little  golden-haired  beauty  who  seemed  so  active, 
bright  and  loving.  Mrs.  Baxter  was  delighted  and  much 
surprised  upon  arising  to  find  the  breakfast  ready  and 
everything  generally  used  in  its  place.  For  some  reason 
no  mention  was  made  of  the  little  child's  presence  as  she 
had  disappeared  some  time  before  the  mother  made  her 
appearance.  The  young  debutante  of  the  kitchen  had 
learned  several  severe  lessons  through  experience  of  no  com- 
mon order.  She  had  learned  that  all  which  seemed  life- 
like and  human  was  often  nothing  but  the  shadows  that  so 
dazzled  and  mystified  her  senses  that  she  could  not  define 
the  mortal  from  the  immortal.  When  asked  how  she  found 
the  food  and  dishes,  she  said  nothing,  only  that  she  fouEd 
them  and  guessed  it  was  right  and  placed  them  thus  and  so. 
The  lady  was  pleased  that  she  had  such  a  treasure  of  a  girl. 

SPIRITS  ATTEND  CHURCH. 

As  the  days  went  by  she  grew  in  favor  and  when  Sun- 
day came  the  good  lady,  who  was  a  devout  Christian,  took 
the  girl  to  church  and  Sunday  school,  a  privilege  im- 
mensely enjoyed  by  the  recipient.  But  these  strange 
shadows  followed.  Unweariedly  and  unceasingly  they 
never  failed  in  their  watchful  care  over  the  one  chosen  to 
represent  them.     They  had  scarcely  seated  themselves  in 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  41 

church  before  raps  and  taps,  alarmingly  loud,  began  sound- 
ing like  trip  hammers  in  the  ears  of  the  affrighted  girl.    All 

too  well  she  recognized  the  sound  and  knew  the  sequel.  As 
the  minister  preached  his  well-worn  sermon,  they  rapped 
yes  or  no  their  approval  or  disapproval  of  his  utterances. 
At  last  Mrs.  Baxter  said.  "My  dear,  you  must  keep  your 
feet  still."  Blushing  and  paling  by  turn  she  tried  to  put 
on  a  bold  front  and  answer,  but  words  would  not  come. 
Finally  Mrs.  Baxter  lost  the  sound  of  raps  in  the  interest 
of  the  sermon. 

When  Sabbath  school  was  in  session  the  vibrations  of 
the  seat  upon  which  they  sat  and  the  bench  in  front  of  them 
caused  Mrs.  Baxter  to  sternly  rebuke,  as  she  thought,  the 
indifferent  culprit.  The  girl  medium  rustled  her  well- 
starched  calico  gown  to  hide  the  noises  that  brought  such 
chagrin  and  mortification  to  her  aching,  homesick  heart. 
Too  well  she  knew  the  inevitable  result.  Ignorance  and 
superstition  would  pronounce  against  her,  condemn  her  and 
send  her  forth  branded  as  a  witch.  No,  it  must  not  be 
acknowledged  there,  and  the  child  grew  faint  with  fear. 
Upon  their  return  home  Mrs.  Baxter  told  her  husband  that 
Jennie,  the  name  she  was  now  called,  did  not  behave  well 
and  made  a  great  noise  with  her  feet.  The  husband  gave 
her  a  mild  lecture  upon  good  behavior  and  manners,  all  of 
which  was  gratefully  received;  anything  but  the  real  cause 
was  a  great  relief  to  her  mind ; 'anything  but  the  one  cause 
which  made  her  shudder  and  grow  faint  at  the  thought  that 
they  should  know  that  she  was  Devil-possessed,  to  be  driven 
forth  again,  homeless  and  friendless  to  seek  other  shelter. 

Thus  a  few  more  pleasant,  uneventful  days  passed  in 
which  Mrs.  Baxter  often  complimented  her  upon  her 
efficiency  in  knowing  how  to  labor  rightly  and  properly. 
Had  she  but  taken  note  of  the  time  and  space  into  which 
so  much  of  labor  had  been  crowded,  she  might  have  won- 
dered how  one  so  young  could  accomplish  so  much  and  so 
quickly.  Sometimes  this  work  was  all  done  under  spirit 
control — the  child  being  unconscious  at  such  times.  Again 
the  hands  were  controlled  and  would  fly  nimbly  over  the 


42  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

work  set  her  to  do  without  her  having  any  knowledge 
of  how  it  was  done  or  to  be  done. 

Finally  she  believed  the  golden-haired  daughter  was 
of  the  earth  earthly  and  said  gratefully  to  Mrs.  Baxter 
that  she  just  loved  her  little  daughter  Eva.  "My  Eva!  My 
Eva !  What  in  Heaven 's  name  do  you  mean  ?  My  Eva  has 
been  dead  these  many  years!"  Oh,  too  late!  The  appre- 
hended doom  had  fallen.  She  bowed  her  head  and  received 
the  blow. 

"My  Eva!  Oh,  I  see  through  it  all.  You  are  in 
league  with  the  evil  one." 

The  bewildered  child  answered,  "Yes.  Oh,  forgive 
me,  I  am.    My  father  says  so." 

Nothing  more  was  said,  but  when  the  husband  came 
from  the  corn  field  where  he  had  been  all  the  morning,  the 
sober  face  of  both  wife  and  maiden  caught  and  arrested 
his  attention.  He  asked  the  trouble.  The  wife  looked  unut- 
terable things  and  said  more.  The  husband,  tired  with  his 
work,  threw  himself  into  a  chair,  leaned  back  against  the 
door  casings,  saying,  "I  am  too  weary  to  get  up  and  go  to 
the  table."  Thereupon,  to  the  consternation  of  all  three, 
the  table  moved  up  to  him.  Slowly  but  weirdly  it  moved 
without  mortal  hand  touching  it.  To  get  out  of  its  way  he 
pushed  close  and  still  closer  to  the  door.  The  breathless, 
frightened,  dumb-struck  man  believed  in  his  heart  that  the 
evil  one  had  been  turned  loose  upon  his  household. 

Suddenly  the  wife  screamed  and  said  she  had  seen 
with  her  own  eyes  what  the  girl  was  saying.  "Is  not  that 
your  little  Eva  clinging  to  your  skirts?"  The  panic- 
stricken  woman  could  scarce  speak,  so  great  was  her  fear 
and  wild  indignation.  With  an  open  hand  she  struck  her  a 
crushing  blow  and  bade  her  immediately  leave  the  house 
and  let  them  see  her  no  more.  ' '  Begone,  begone,  you  witch, 
and  never  let  me  lay  eyes  upon  you  again,"  was  the  cruel, 
heartless  command. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  43 

ADRIFT    ONCE    MORE. 

Once  more  she  was  out  upon  the  highway  of  life,  with 
heart  and  soul  full  of  despair.  Again  dire  misfortunes 
were  fast  crowding  into  her  life.  She  felt  that  she  was 
born  to  a  heritage  of  sorrow  and  suffering,  for  no  one,  no 
matter  how  callous  and  cynical,  who  will  look  into  life  with 
honest  candor,  can  fail  to  discern  that  life  derives  untold 
values  from  the  love  which  welcomes  its  dawn  and  attends 
its  growth  and  fulfillment. 

Human  love  is  the  divine  emotion  of  the  soul.  It  is 
a  pearl  of  great  value,  of  great  price.  It  is  the  key  to 
open  the  gates  of  Heaven.  How  it  enlarges,  enriches  and 
ennobles  human  souls.  What  grand  and  beneficient  minis- 
trations it  conducts.  In  strong  young  hearts  it  is  the  beau- 
tiful transforming  angel  that  raises  the  flag  of  hope  high 
above  all  else.  It  is  the  cleansing  angel  that  purifies  and 
refines.  It  had  touched  this  girl's  heart  with  gladdening 
power,  or  she  would  have  drooped  by  the  way,  ahungered 
and  athirst,  but  a  great,  self-sacrificing  love  for  her  mother 
warmed  her  heart  and  gave  speed  to  her  weary  feet.  She 
must  find  other  employment. 

Taking  her  little  bundle  of  clothes  tied  in  a  handker- 
chief, she  started  out.  Coming  to  a  woods  she  sat  down  to 
rest  and  think.  It  was  all  too  sudden.  Where  would  she  go  ? 
The  September  month  had  nearly  flown.  She  was  penni- 
less and  alone,  not  knowing  which  way  to  go.  Thus  think- 
ing and  trying  to  reason  the  moments  sped  away.  It  began 
to  rain.  Still  she  sat  and  thought,  "What  next,  Oh  Lord, 
what  next?"  She  dared  not  go  back  home  as  her  father 
firmly  believed  she  was  possessed  of  evil  powers. 

While  pondering  thus  an  old-fashioned  pony  chaise 
came  .'long,  occupied  by  a  middle-aged  gentleman,  who 
sang  out  cheerily,  "What  are  you  doing  there  in  the  rain, 
my  child?" 

The  answer  came  back  in  stifling  sobs,  "I  don't  know. 
I  have  no  place  to  go." 


44  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"Come  and  get  in,"  he  said,  "and  I  will  carry  you  as 
far  as  I  go." 

She  got  in,  all  the  while  crying  as  if  her  heart  would 
break,  he,  asking  soothingly,  "What  is  the  matter  my 
child?" 

Growing  calm,  she  told  him  she  had  the  Devil,  at 
which  he  heartily  laughed  and  asked  her  to  tell  him  how 
big  a  one.  She  poured  out  her  story  of  humiliation,  griev- 
ance and  cruel  treatment. 

The  good  man,  who  proved  to  be  Dr.  Tolman,  living 
upon  a  pretty  farm  in  Illinois,  not  far  away,  listened, 
amazed  and  almost  incredulously  to  her  story.  He  decided 
to  drive  back  and  ask  Mrs.  Baxter,  whom  he  did  not  know, 
if  the  story  was  true. 

On  arriving  at  the  house  and  making  inquiry,  Mrs. 
Baxter  burst  forth  in  anger,  saying,  "Yes,  all  true  and 
more. ' '  Recalling  the  work  accomplished  by  what  she  now 
knew  to  be  the  Devil-possessed  girl,  her.  Sabbath  school 
experience  and  all. 

Well  he  marveled  about  the  wonderful  revelation  as 
he  came  back  to  the  waiting  and  frightened  child,  who 
expected,  she  knew  not  what,  from  the  wrothful  questioned 
Christian  who  had  turned  her  out  of  doors. 

He  looked  thoughtful  and  sat  still,  seeming  in  earnest 
communion  with  himself  until  at  last  looking  up  he  said : 
"Would  you  like  to  go  home  with  me?  I  don't  believe  in 
Devils,  little  girl,"  and  he  laughed  heartily  and  looked 
amused  and  unconvinced. 

She  answered  readily,  and  with  a  glad  heart,  that  she 
would  go  with  him  and  do  all  in  her  power  to  show  her 
gratitude.  He  made  answer  to  her  earnest  thanks  by  say- 
ing, ' '  Stop,  don 't  thank  me  until  I  have  learned  something 
about  this  Devil  that  turned  you  loose  upon  such  wretches 
as  these  people,"  pointing  back  of  him.  Pointing  to  the 
red  mark  upon  her  cheek,  he  said:  "None  but  a  Devil 
would  strike  a  defenseless  child  in  that  manner.  I  guess 
you  won't  be  troubled  at  my  house,  although  I  don't  know 
just  what  to  do  with  you,  as  my  wife  is  sick  with  a  disease 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  46 

from  which  she  cannot  recover.  She  1ms  consumption. 
She  is  a  good  woman,  but  she  must  know  nothing  of  this  at 
first,  as  she  is  also  a  Christian,  while  I  am  a  heretic  and  an 
unbeliever." 

Thus  a  new  home  was  found  where  for  the  first  time 
her  merits  and  demerits  being  known,  there  would  be  no 
hiding,  no  fear,  no  blame  to  her. 

In  this  new  home  the  manifestations  began  with 
greater  strength.  Sometimes  to  the  amaze  and  amusement 
of  her  new  protector  tables,  chairs,  pictures,  milk  pails  and 
sticks  of  wood  would  move  like  things  of  life,  manifesting 
intelligence,  doing  everything  that  was  mentally  asked,  or 
verbally  voiced. 

The  girl  would  often  say,  "Is  this  not  awful?"  when 
the  reply  would  sometimes  come  in  whispering  voices  from 
all  parts  of  the  room  above,  below  and  answer,  ' '  Nay,  nay, 
we  are  not  half  done  yet." 

The  good,  interested  doctor  enjoyed  these  manifesta- 
tions alone  for  several  nights.  His  interest  was  so  great 
that  he  confided  his  experience  to  a  much  respected  neigh- 
bor. Behold  upon  his  return  from  the  secret  meeting  the 
child  was  controlled  and  repeated  the  conversation  and  said 
that  it  was  well  to  invite  the  neighbor,  lie  came,  when 
names  were  given,  dates  of  death,  descriptions  of  face,  form 
and  method  of  burial,  even  naming  the  officiating  clergy- 
man and  the  hymns  song. 

One  day  the  doctor  lifted  his  hands  despairingly  and 
said,  "What  is  it.  what  can  it  be,  something  to  craze  my 
brain,  to  mock  my  soul  with  its  past,  finding  out  mystery?" 

The  answer  was  quick  and  convincing.  His  spirit 
mother  came  and  told  him  of  its  beauty  and  its  truth.  It 
was  difficult  for  him  to  yield  his  judgment  to  a  force  to 
him  unknown  and  unknowable,  yet  these  facts  could  not 
be  disputed. 

Thus  she  confused  this  man  of  thought  and  investiga- 
tion. They  told  him  confidentially  of  things  that  had  fled 
his  memory  and  he  would  seek  others  of  his  family  to  know 
its  truth,  for  verification  which  never  failed. 


46  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Thus  weeks  passed  in  which  it  would  take  volumes  to 
recapitulate.  His  friend  became  thoroughly  interested  and 
in  later  years  became  a  spiritualist. 

When  winter  whitened  the  earth  with  its  snowy  man- 
tle, the  good  wife  passed  away,  and  the  child  was  removed 
to  her  parents'  new  home.  They  tried  to  pray  the  evil 
spirit  out  of  her.  A  secular  minister  was  expected  to  hold  a 
revival  and  convert  many  sinners  of  the  neighborhood.  This 
minister,  a  good  and  honest,  as  well  as  an  intelligent  ser- 
vant of  the  Lord,  stopped  with  her  parents  who  lived  nearly 
opposite  the  school  house  in  which  the  revival  was  to  be 
held.  The  mother's  great  hope  was  that  the  husband  and 
child  would  both  be  greatly  benefited. 

All  pains  were  taken  to  entertain  him.  Several  of  the 
neighbor's  children  gathered  in  to  decorate  the  dreary  look- 
ing school  house  with  green  branches  and  holly. 

THE  CHILD  PREACHES  A  SERMON. 

When  they  had  nearly  finished  this  work,  another 
unexpected  thing  happened.  This  strange  child,  all  untu- 
tored, went  upon  the  platform  and  called  her  brothers 
and  sisters  and  neighbors  to  order,  knelt  and  prayed  most 
eloquently  not  only  for  them,  but  for  the  new  minister 
who  was  to  come  that  day;  who,  she  said,  was  even  now 
approaching  the  house,  opposite.  The  child's  eyes  were 
closed  and  her  back  was  turned  to  the  window  out  of 
which  they  all  glanced  and  saw  the  strange  minister,  sure 
enough,  going  into  the  gate-way  of  their  home  just  oppo- 
site. Then  this  controlling  intelligence  went  on,  opened  the 
Bible,  and  with  closed  eyes,  read  a  chapter,  appropriately 
and  most  eloquently  preached  a  sermon.  All  present  being 
her  elders  said  they  had  never  heard  the  like  before. 

When  she  regained  consciousness  they  were  all  bathed 
in  tears;  and,  for  once,  were  hushed  and  silent  in  their 
scorn  and  reviling. 

After  it  was  all  past  and  they  had  each  gone  their 
separate  ways,  the  brothers  and  sisters  told  the  mother  in 
whispering  awe-struck  voices  what  had  been  said  and  done 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  47 

at  the  completion  of  their  loving  labor  of  decorating  for  the 

new  arrival. 

The  father  and  mother  conferred  and  thoughl  it  best 
that  they,  at  the  beginning,  confess  their  sorrowful  plight. 
They  decided  to  tell  him  that  under  this  evil  influence 
she  could  locate  coal,  mineral  and  water,  and  that  she  could 
find  lost  articles,  strayed  or  stolen  property.  They  told 
him.  too.  that  she  had  foretold  battles  and  great  political 
issues  and  had  given  correct  information  upon  all  general 
topics. 

All  these  things  the  mother  told  the  good  man,  saying, 
"We  know  it's  the  evil  one."  "Well,  well,  this  is  wonder- 
ful," said  the  almost  startled  minister.  "I  would  like  to 
see  the  girl." 

She  was  sought  and  found  in  tears,  fearing  punish- 
ment for  the  sermon  in  the  school  house,  which  had  been 
repeated  to  the  reverend  gentleman,  with  the  clairvoyant 
vision  of  his  approach. 

The  seeming  culprit  entered  his  presence,  the  mother 
saying  she  had  told  the  gentleman  all  about  her.  He  talked 
with  her.  felt  her  head  and  remarked  the  wonderful 
growth  of  curling  hair.  He  looked  at  her  tongue,  felt  her 
pulse ;  and.  though  she  was  much  like  other  children,  he 
was  greatly  perplexed. 

This  good  man  could  not  solve  the  mystery.  He  said, 
"Well,  it  must  be  from  the  power  of  the  Devil."  Then 
from  a  darkened  corner  of  the  room  came  a  ringing  laugh. 
"Ha.  ha,  ha.  no  Devil."  That  was  all,  but  it  was  quite 
enough  to  frighten  the  little  circle  into  the  belief  that  even 
the  sacred  and  beloved  presence  of  their  minister  did  not 
deter  the  evil  one  from  coming. 

He  watched  and  studied  the  child.  He  saw  that  she 
was  tender,  loving,  obedient  and  gentle  and  kindly  dis- 
posed to  all.  He  noted  her  love  of  the  beautiful,  her 
wonderful  love  and  attention  to  her  mother,  :  id  he  said 
he  would  make  a  special  effort  to  find  out  the  cause,  and 
would  take  her  into  his  congregation  and  pray  that  the 
evil  spirit  should  no  longer  torment  her. 


48  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  father,  mother  and  daughter  readily  assented  to 
this  good  Methodist  plan  of  exorcism. 

THE  DEVIL  ATTENDS  A   METHODIST  REVIVAL. 

After  several  had  become  conscious  of  their  sins  and 
realized  the  efficacy  of  his  most  eloquent  words,  this  of- 
fending culprit  was  led  to  the  mourner's  bench.  She  rev- 
erently knelt,  praying  for  divine  grace  to  rest  like  a  white 
mantle  upon  her  soul  and  stop  its  fearful  misgivings.  She 
prayed  for  strength,  as  her  mother  had  instructed  her,  for 
if  failure  came  tonight,  she  felt  that  she  was  lost  forever. 

There  were  many  present  who  knew  her,  and  knew 
about  the  strange  manifestations  that  had  caused  this 
going  forward  to  get  relief  from  its  oppressions.  Several 
who  had  witnessed  this  spirit  power  in  days  that  were 
past,  and  had  marveled  at  its  accuracy  in  revealing  their 
history,  now  watched  breathless  and  aghast. 

The  power  began  to  pour  in  upon  her.  She  describ- 
ed it  afterwards,  as  different  from  anything  she  had  ever 
experienced.  Queer  influences  passed  from  head  to  foot, 
subtle  vibrations  shook  every  nerve.  She  was  in  a  half 
conscious  condition.  Her  hair  uncurled.  Her  flesh  seemed 
to  freeze.  Her  eyes  started  and  she  was  unable  to  shut 
or  open  them.  The  mourner's  bench,  at  which  at  least 
six  sisters  knelt  seeking  this  revealed  religion,  began  to 
move.  Horror  chilled  the  impassioned  pleaders.  The 
bench  vibrated,  rose  softly,  rocked  gently  to  and  fro,  then 
lifted  like  some  giant  thing  of  life  and  turned  over  on  the 
floor,  the  legs  extending  upward.  All  life  froze  in  the 
now  frightened  child's  veins.  She  knew  her  day  of  plead- 
ing for  grace  was  over. 

Her  father  took  her  by  the  arm  and  hurried  her  to 
the  door.  With  one  push  he  sent  her  out  from  this  temple 
of  God,  where  others  were  pleading  for  Christ's  mercy 
and  saving  grace.  Out  into  the  night  she  went,  out  under 
the  myriad  of  stars,  out  into  the  cold  world,  hearing  noth- 
ing, seeing  nothing,  only  feeling  the  unutterable  misery 
that  stirred  in  her  half  palsied  being. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  49 

Who  that  is  sensitive.  Loving  and  to  religion  inclined 
would  not  suffer  to  be  thus  thrust  out  of  the  house  of 
God  into  darkness  greater  than  the  blackest  night.  Dark- 
ness and  gloom  enshrouds  a  human  soul  when  it  is  con- 
scious that  home,  family  and  friends  and  all  things  sacred 
and  loved  are  swept  away.  A  soul  lost  in  God's  beautiful 
universe,  within  sight  and  sound  of  those  pleading  for 
merey  and  forgiveness  of  their  sins!  Such  is  the  destiny 
of  those  bringing  a  new  truth  into  the  world. 

She  wandered  about  the  place  for  hours,  not  daring 
to  go  into  the  humble  home  that  sheltered  the  family  and 
the  good  minister.  She  spent  the  night  out  in  the  dark, 
with  her  darker  thoughts  to  keep  her  company.  She  final- 
ly erept  sorrowfully  to  the  hay  loft  and  there  spent  the 
night. 

Hearing  soft  raps,  she  asked,  "Oh,  Mr.  Devil,  is  that 
you?''  Readily  the  answer  came.  "Yes."  "Please,  are 
you  ever  going  to  do  such  a  thing  again?"  "Rap,  rap, 
rap."  came  the  answer,  "Yes." 

This  answer  brought  a  wail  of  sobbing,  sorrowful 
anguish  upon  the  girl's  lips,  which  immediately  faded  into 
silence  as  she  beheld  a  number  of  white  robed  people  ap- 
proaching her  in  the  darkness  of  the  old  stable  loft. 

They  bade  her  stop,  and  cry  no  more,  that  her  sorrow 
would  ere  long  pass  away,  that  night  would  turn  into 
clearest  day,  and  anguish  into  joy.  They  told  her  that 
her  patient  heroism  arid  severe  self-suppression  of  all 
things  inglorious  should  be  rewarded.  They  inspired  this 
poorly  dressed  and  half  frozen  girl,  who  could  but  listen 
to  their  sweet  voices,  entranced  with  the  harmony  they 
created  in  her  troubled  heart,  regardless  of  her  terrible 
condition. 

When  the  night  was  passed  and  the  day  had  come 
in  bright  and  beautiful,  half  her  fears  had  vanished. 
Her  brother  soughl  her  hiding  place  in  the  barn  and  she 
was  bidden  to  come  and  face  the  music,  the  minister,  and 
her  father  and  pom-  mortified   mother. 


50  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

SPEAKS  IN  LATIN. 

What  was  her  surprise  and  great  joy  on  entering 
the  house — for  very  little  made  her  happy.  There  was 
no  scolding,  not  even  a  frown  from  any  side,  but  thought- 
ful looks  and  a  tendency  to  be  very  lenient.  This  made 
her  heart  bound  with  great  gladness.  The  minister  set 
himself  to  asking  all  kinds  of  questions  that  were  soon 
answered  in  a  manner  that  both  mystified  and  astonished 
him.  She  immediately  passed,  what  she  designated  as 
out  of  herself  into  a  condition  of  higher  intelligence,  which 
held  the  minister  spell-bound  and  fascinated. 

Finally  a  communication  was  given  to  him  in  Latin. 
He,  being  a  Latin  scholar,  answered  in  the  same  language. 
When  the  control  had  left  the  child,  he  fell  back  breathless 
and  said :  "In  God 's  name,  does  your  daughter  speak 
Latin  ? "  "  No, ' '  said  her  father.  He  told  her  father  what 
had  been  said  and  that  all  was  true. 

Excitedly  he  said  the  message  was  from  a  class-mate 
much  loved.  "I  did  not  know  of  his  death,  but  should  it 
prove  that  he  is  dead,  what  shall  I  believe,  what  know, 
what  think?    My  God,  what  is  this  which  so  puzzles  me?" 

Her  father  answered  straightforwardly:  "It  must  be 
the  influence  of  the  Devil,  Brother  Springer." 

He  made  no  reply,  but  looked  as  pale  and  haggard  as 
though  passing  through  some  great  mental  and  physical 
struggle.  He  proposed  to  the  father  not  to  give  up  the 
plan  of  the  child 's  conversion  and  salvation ;  that  she  should 
be  taken  that  night  and  placed  on  a  bench  by  herself.  Pos- 
sibly the  desired  result  would  be  accomplished.  This  was 
agreed  to.  That  night  a  pale,  shy  young  girl,  with  a  wist- 
ful, yearning  light  in  her  eyes,  went  quietly  into  the  house 
and  took  her  allotted  place,  where  all  the  Christians  and 
sinners  could  see  her. 

She  was  indeed  happy,  feeling  that  this  time  she 
might  receive  the  benefit  of  their  much-vaunted  love  and 
mercy.  But  it  was  not  to  be.  The  power  was  coming 
again,  if  the  chills  and  nettling,  as  she  knelt  in  earnest 
prayer,  meant  anything. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  51 

This  time  the  seat  did  not  go  rapidly,  but  moved  out 
a  little  from  the  kneeling  penitent,  then  it  rocked  and 
tilted,  then  deliberately  walked  up  to  the  now  thoroughly 
astonished  mourners  who  knelt  where  she  had  knelt  the 
night  before. 

She  was  again  seized  by  the  now  seriously  alarmed 
father,  who  again  ejected  her  down  the  steps  with  consid- 
erable force.  This  phenomenon  set  the  good  minister  to 
thinking.  He  could  not  let  the  subject  alone.  Finally  he 
proposed  to  several  of  his  timid  attendants  and  members 
of  the  church  to  look  into  the  affair  a  little  more  practically, 
saying  that  he  was  greatly  puzzled  and  much  concerned 
over  her  fate. 

They  assented,  and,  after  the  next  meeting,  about 
twenty  gathered  in  Mr.  Barrock's  humble  home  to  witness 
the  exorcising  process,  or  the  allaying  of  the  family  skele- 
ton. 

THE    MINISTER    HAS    A    CABINET    SEANCE. 

The  girl  was  called  in  and  told  their  errand,  the  min- 
ister kindly  promising  protection  from  any  results.  At 
once  this  girl,  so  timid  of  mien,  so  gentle  and  shy,  became 
controlled  by  some  man,  as  was  evident  to  all  present. 
Her  voice  changed  from  soft,  childish  tones  to  a  masculine 
voice.  This  voice  immediately  issued  orders,  directing 
them  to  make  a  cabinet  by  taking  a  dress  coat  and  hang 
it  over  the  upper  par^  of  the  door,  leaving  the  part  at 
the  middle  of  the  door.  He  then  directed  them  to  take 
a  quilt  and  put  it  up  beneath  so  as  to  touch  or  lap  over 
the  upper  garment.  He  ordered  them  to  tie  the  girl, 
strongly  and  well;  to  use  judgment  and  discretion,  but 
to  do  it  quickly,  and  then  to  place  her  in  a  chair  and  tie 
her  there  safely  so  she  could  not  move  hand  or  foot.  This 
done,  he  said,  "Now  lock  your  door  and  fasten  the  window 
securely,  sit  in  a  semi-circle  around  the  curtained  door  and 
await  the  results  with  patience." 

All  orders  being  strictly  carried  out,  the  half  fright- 
ened women  and  wholly  skeptical  men  sat  down  to  await 


52  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

the  coming,  as  one  good  deacon  said,  of  the  evil  one.  It 
came  first  in  numerous  protrusion  of  hands,  large  and 
small;  white,  delicate  hands;  large,  toil  worn  hands;  little 
rose  leaf  baby  hands,  scarce  unfolded,  so  tiny  they  seemed. 
A  shower  of  hands  appeared,  big  and  little  variously  in- 
termixed. 

After  a  few  moment's  delay,  pretty  little  hands  lifted 
the  improvised  curtain.  A  face  peeped  out  from  the  dark 
background  into  the  light  of  one  sputtering  candle,  then 
it  drew  back  again. 

What  makes  the  minister,  this  learned,  holy  man, 
start?  What  is  this  which  breaks  upon  his  startled  vision? 
A  little  curly  headed  boy,  whose  locks  were  as  fair  as 
gold — a  sweet  winsome  face,  eyes  shyly  lifted,  as  if  sore 
afraid  that  he  was  altogether  among  strangers.  He  looks 
again  into  the  whitening  face  of  our  minister,  whose  lips 
refuse  to  utter  a  sound.  The  child  goes  back  for  only  a 
second,  and,  then,  slowly  advances  until  a  little  voice 
says,  "Papa,  papa."  All  bend  suddenly  forward  and 
gaze  anxiously  and  fearfully  into  the  sweet  little  face.  At 
last  the  minister  speaks  with  husky,  tremulous  voice: 
"Who  is  this?"  Little  hands  lift  spasmodically  and 
whisper:  "Why,  it's  Sammy,  papa."  Down  on  bended 
knees  falls  this  holy  man  and  cries  out,  "Thank  God! 
It's  my  little  son.  Oh,  it  is  he,  I  know  him,  I  know  him. 
Glory  be  to  God." 

All  this  occurred  in  a  shorter  space  of  time  than  it 
takes  to  write  it.  Upon  the  breaking  of  the  imposed  con- 
ditions by  this  excitement  the  little  fellow  disappeared 
and  came  no  more. 

The  end  was  not  yet  however,  for  the  leader  of  the 
revivals,  a  lovely  lady  of  culture,  by  name  of  Dean, 
sat  with  the  rest  in  this  group  of  honest  investigators 
and  creed-bound  and  skeptical  people. 

Very  soon  the  curtain  was  opened  as  if  by  hurry- 
ing, impetuous  hands,  and  out  stepped  a  spirit  clad  in 
his  soldier  garments.  He  pointed  to  Mrs.  Dean,  who  was 
noticed  by  her  friends  to  nearly  fall  from  her  seat.    And, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  53 

speaking  hurriedly,  he  said:  "Wife.  I  was  killed  yes- 
terday in  battle.     You  will  receive  a  telegram." 

This  lady's  home  was  in  Keokuk.  Iowa.  Sin-  was  at 
the  time  visiting  a  sister  and  friends  ami  attending  the 
revival.  She  was  also  a  staunch  Methodist.  Shi-  imme- 
diately reeognized  her  husbaud.  but  refused  to  think  or 
believe  him  dead.  The  sequel  showed  the  hope  was  futile. 
II.-  had  been  slain  in  battle  according  to  the  testimony 
of  a  comrade  who  telegraphed  the  wife  as  she  was  told 
at   this  seance. 

Many  other  forms  appeared.  Each  was  recognized. 
Quest  inns  were  asked  by  friends  and  answered  promptly 
by  those  white-robed  forms. 

The  cabinet  was  a  little  room,  almost  bare.  The 
child's  clothes  were  plain  and  dark.  'The  spirit  forms 
were  covered  with  garments  as  white  as  snow  and  ex- 
eeedingly  fine  and  delicately  wrought.  The  startled  and 
amazed  sisters  said  that  such  clothing  could  only  come 
from  the  skilled  workmen  over  the  sea.  Thus  ended  the 
seance   of    Church   men. 

Some  were  convinced  and  some  were  fearful  of  eon- 
dign  punishment  for  attending  such  a  sacrilegious  exhi- 
bition. The  kindly  recognition  of  his  little  son  by  the 
minister  reassured  not  a  few  who  now  gathered  around 
him.  and  asked  his  candid  opinion.  He  was  an  educated 
man.  honest,  sincere,  and  loving  justice.  He  answered 
that  hr  had  seen  his  son  and  would  say  positively  that 
he  knew  it  w;is  not  the  Devil,  yet  he  could  not  so  quickly 
determine  its  origin,  its  source,  its  cause. 

At  the  close  of  the  seance  the  child  was  thoroughly 
examined  and  found  as  securely  tied  as  it  was  possible 
for  skeptics  to  tie  her.  Not  one  cord  was  removed— all 
remained  as  it  had  been.  Tln-y  were  also  satisfied  that 
entrance  from  outside  was  impossible. 

The  news  of  this  night  flew   like  some   winged   bird 

all  over  the  neighborhood  and  surrounding  country.     And 

dozens,   nay   hundreds,   came  from  afar  and  near  to  wit- 

this    realistic    return    of  the   dead.      Some   came   to 


54  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

scoff  and  condemn,  others  to  see  and  pray  with  the  thor- 
oughly distraught  child.  The  reverend  gentleman  had 
taken  his  departure,  leaving  a  kindly  thought  to  the 
father  not  to  scold  the  girl. 

"She  cannot  help  it.  It  is  something  strange  and 
wonderful.  I  stand  before  her  superior  intelligence, 
abashed.  I  answer  her  nothing,  tell  her  nothing.  What- 
ever it  is,  God  knows,  I  think  it  good.  It  is  wiser,  finer, 
deeper,  broader  than  I  can  think  or  grasp.  Don't  scold 
her,  sir.  She  is  already  old  under  the  lash  and  sting  of 
both  mental  and  physical  blows.  Leave  it  alone.  It  will 
work  out  her  salvation  a  thousand  times  better  and  grander 
than  any  mortal  can.  Why,  sir,  under  its  tuition  she  is 
already  far  in  advance  of  the  elder  child  of  your  home, 
to  whom  you  have  given  all  possible  advantages  of  school- 
ing." 

"That's  so,"  said  the  dejected  father  who  so  earnestly 
believed  that  the  minister  would  solve  the  vexed  problem. 
Not  so.  There  were  multitudes  of  unseen  spirits  in 
attendance  who  saw  wisdom  in  their  methods,  although 
they  had  to  work  by  slow  degrees,  removing  many  obstruc- 
tions before  reaching  the  desired  goal. 

Did  the  voice  of  this  child's  misery  reach  them! 
Must  they  oppress,  afflict,  persecute  and  humiliate  this 
suffering  soul  to  enable  it  the  better  to  understand  the 
divine  laws  of  control?  Must  these  trials  be  endured  to 
prepare  her  for  the  broader  blaze  of  glory-light  that  was 
so  often  foretold  to  her  from  the  spirit  world? 

The  iris-arch  of  sweet-souled  duty  bridges  many  a 
deep  and  dark  chasm  that  lies  like  great  ruts  in  our  mental 
life.  Thus  it  was  with  this  gifted  girl.  She  knew  not  nor 
did  she  dream  that  she  was  destined  for  more  sorrow, 
greater  trials,  deeper  grief  than  she  had  yet  endured. 

Many  earnest  seekers  after  truth  came  to  her.  And 
many  gladly  proclaimed  that  they  both  saw  and  heard 
their  loved  and  lost  ones  who  had  returned  to  greet  them 
and  to  give  them  assurance  of  peace  and  happiness  in  the 
spirit  world  where  they  should  meet  again. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  55 

At  this  time  a  lawyer  of  some  ability  by  the  name  of 
J.  C.  Thorne,  called,  as  he  said,  to  gratify  his  curiosity, 
to  see  if  there  was  anything  supernatural  in  these  mani- 
festations. 

The  father  readily  consented  to  his  seeing  the  child. 
He  was  greeted  with  startling  revelations  from  relatives 
who  long  since  had  been  borne  to  the  silent  grave.  He 
was  severely  criticised  and  reminded  that  he  had  not  done 
his  duty  in  any  sense.  That  to  which  they  referred  was 
known  only  to  himself,  as  he  was  a  stranger  to  both  father 
and  daughter.  He  wept  bitterly  when  his  mother's  mild 
and  peculiarly  cultivated  voice  said,  "My  son,  Oh,  I  am 
so  glad  to  see  you.  Do  by  Nellie,  poor  child,  as  your 
father  desired  you  to  do  before  his  death." 

The  son  said,  "I  will,  I  will,  so  help  me  God,  I  will. 
I  did  not  know  that  you  saw  me."  All  was  clear  to 
him ;  he  knew  the  sacred  responsibilities  he  had  neglected 
and  forthwith  he  promised  restitution  to  the  dear  adopted 
sister  who  had  been  thrown  out  homeless  and  without 
shelter  when  the  father  had  made  provision  for  her. 

The  man  arose,  stupefied,  amazed  as  others  of  his 
friends  had  been.  He  tried  to  press  money  into  the  hands 
of  the  child  who  hastily  handed  it  back,  saying  she  could 
not  take  it  for  such  services.  Poor  as  they  were,  they 
would  not  receive  compensation  for  such  service.  So  he 
took  his  departure,  a  wiser  and  more  thoughtful  man. 
The  divulging  of  his  secret  acts,  motives  and  deeds  proved 
that  this  inscrutible  power,  whatever  it  was,  read  his  most 
secret  thoughts. 

OUT  ON  LIFE'S  HIGHWAY  ONCE  MORE. 

The  father  began  to  weary  of  so  many  coming  to  con- 
sult the  power  which  he  believed  to  be  of  evil  origin  and 
insisted  that  it  be  stopped.  No  one  was  able  to  control 
or  stop  the  manifestations.  The  only  alternative  was  for 
her  to  leave  home  and  again  seek  employment.  The  sor- 
row-stricken mother  thought  this  course  the  best.  This 
child  of  destiny  could  only  acquiesce  in  this  plan.     Surely 


56  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

it  must  be  best  if  this  mother  whom  she  loved  so  dearly- 
thought  so. 

With  a  heavy  heart  her  few  articles  of  apparel  were 
tied  in  a  bundle  and  she  bade  the  children  good-bye  and 
bravely  set  forth  to  face  life's  difficult  ways — to  meet 
condemnation  for  what  she  could  not  control— to  battle 
for  existence— to  earn  bread  and  shelter  by  the  labor  of 
her  hands.  A  mere  child  in  years,  yet  old  in  thought 
and  ways. 

In  what  language  can  her  feelings  be  told  as  she  stops  at 
the  turn  in  the  road  to  look  back  to  the  house  containing 
all  the  world  held  dear  to  her  heart — mother!  A  few  steps 
more  and  the  home  is  only  a  memory  and  before  her  is — 
realty.  A  cold,  hard  world,  full  of  heartaches  and  dis- 
appointments to  this  child — this  girl  to  whom  childhood, 
with  its  sunshine,  its  joys  and  loves,  seemed  to  be  denied. 

How  many  a  mother  has  stood  at  the  window  and 
seen  her  youngest  born  stop  at  the  turn  in  the  road  to 
take  a  farewell  look — possibly  the  last — and  then  pass 
on  out  of  sight.  Thank  God  for  the  tears  that  dim  such 
visions.  How  many  of  you,  grown  old  in  the  ways  of  the 
world,  can  recall  such  scenes  in  your  long  ago;  how  many 
can  thank  God  for  the  energy  of  poverty— the  one  potent 
force  in  the  evolution  of  character— that  enabled  you  in 
after  years  to  extend  a  strong  hand  to  those  less  royally 
endowed  ? 

If  this  child  fall  by  the  wayside  will  such  as  you 
place  her  feet  upon  the  right  path?  If  sick,  will  gentle 
hands  attend  her?  If  weary  and  disheartened,  will  some 
voice  attuned  to  love's  messages,  speak  encouraging  words? 
These  things  are  expected  from  the  church.  Did  this 
child  receive  them? 

The  one  great  question  in  her  mind  was.  "Where  shall 
I  go?  Where?"  Experience  had  taught  her  that  no  one 
wanted  such  an  one  as  they  believed  her  to  be— gifted  with 
this  strange  power— this  unnamed  force  pronounced  evil 
by  the  church.  But  go  she  must.  Her  loved  mother  had 
advised  the  going  and  it  must  be  best.     Her  wandering 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  57 

footsteps  were  led  to  Warsaw  where  the  family  had 
formerly  resided  for  a  month  when  moving  to  the  farm 
of  which  mention  is  made.  She  walked  all  the  long 
weary  fifteen  miles.  Arriving  foot-sore  and  storm-driven 
with  great  heart  throbs  of  sorrow,  she  was  by  no  means 
a  fit  candidate  for  applying  for  service.  Nothing 
daunted,  she  knew  full  well  that  she  must  move  on  or  die 
of  weariness  or  starvation.  She  had  eaten  nothing  upon 
the  long  journey.  She  began  her  solicitations  for  work. 
No  one  wanted  her.  They  would  first  give  a  curious  look 
which  would  end  in  a  silent  stare,  then  say,  "No,  we  don't 
want  help,  or  do  not  want  anyone." 

"With  a  few  pennies  she  procured  herself  a  night's 
lodging  at  a  cheap  hotel  and  began  early  next  day  the 
same  old  weary  round  of  seeking  an  honest  living.  At  last, 
after  a  seemingly  aimless  search  she  found  a  place  with 
Mrs.  Andrews,  of  the  Andrews  House,  Warsaw,  Illinois, 
who  kept  the  hotel  on  the  left  of  the  hill  coming  up  from 
the  wharf.  The  people  were  good  and  kind  Christians 
and  seemed  to  pity  the  forlorn  condition  of  this  girl 
who  worked  so  diligently  and  obediently,  never  hesitating 
to  assume  the  heaviest  burdens  or  to  do  the  hardest  work. 

Ber  first  night  filled  her  discouraged  heart  with  fear- 
ful apprehension  that  she  would  be  betrayed  by  these  un- 
Been  influences.  Mrs.  Andrews  had  an  Irish  cook  who 
was  a  strong  and  staunch  Catholic.  Next  morning  the 
cook  began1  to  tell  the  landlady  that  she  saw  a  priest,  long 
since  dead,  who  came  in  rustling  white  garments  and 
stood  before  her.  she  also  saw  a  brother  who  died  in 
infancy,  who  said  to  her.  "Nora,  it's  Bridget  and  Willie." 
Bridget  was  a  sister.  She  did  not  see  the  sister,  but  she 
said  sin-  saw  her  brother  plainly.  "Och,  I  am  going  to 
die,  sure,"  Bhe  groaned  all  day. 

The  new  girl  mighl  have  thrown  liirht  upon  these 
appearances  if  she  had  so  chosen,  bul  she  had  grown  wise 
and  kepi  her  own  counsel,  at  the  same  time  feeling  that 
all  was  over  if  she  did  not  sleep  elsewhere.  During  the 
day  she  espied   an    unoeeupied   room   and  she  begged  the 


58  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

landlady  to  let  her  move  her  bed  into  it.     The  request 
was  granted  and  the  immediate  danger  averted. 

She  was  not  permitted  to  rest  in  this  placid  fashion 
long.  She  must  feel  again  the  old  torture,  the  old  pain, 
for  it  was  not  long  before  they  discovered  in  her  some- 
thing strange  and  unlike  all  other  girls  in  their  employ. 
There  was  much  to  do.  The  hotel  was  not  large  nor  spa- 
cious, but  it  was  well  patronized  by  country  folks  and 
travelers.  The  work  kept  her  busy  from  the  dark  hours 
of  the  early  morning,  sometimes  until  after  midnight. 
Work,  work,  work,  until  the  feet  wearily  ached  and  head 
throbbed  and  soul  faltered.  She  must  not  complain  at 
any  burden  laid  upon  her  shoulders.  Had  she  not  some 
evil  force  or  something  like  it?  Had  not  misfortune  of 
all  kinds  overtaken,  not  only  her,  but  the  whole  family? 
She  must  not  stop  to  complain  of  aching  head  or  heart. 
She  must  go  on,  and  on,  ever  to  the  end,  whatever  that 
might  be. 

A  PIN  BROUGHT  FROM  A  DISTANCE. 

A  gentleman  boarder,  Mr.  Hamilton,  had  been  to 
Keokuk  on  a  business  trip.  Upon  coming  away,  he  left 
a  valuable  pin  upon  a  stand  in  the  hotel  at  Keokuk.  He 
deplored  his  loss,  fearing  it  was  the  last  he  would  see  of  it. 
On  the  morrow  he  found  it  safely  pinned  upon  his  cushion 
in  his  room.  The  pin  had  been  returned  to  his  possession 
by  some  unknown  power.  The  landlord  at  Keokuk  had 
found  the  pin  and  put  it  away,  knowing  that  so  valuable 
a  pin  would  be  called  for. 

In  the  meantime,  as  soon  as  his  loss  was  discovered, 
he  wrote  to  the  landlord,  who,  getting  the  letter,  went  to 
get  the  pin.  But  to  his  consternation  it  was  missing.  He 
wrote  the  facts  to  the  young  man,  who,  in  the  interven- 
ing time,  had  received  it  through  this  wonderful  agency. 
He  had  noticed  strange  things  about  the  girl  and  guessed 
the  cause  of  the  pin's  return.  He  asked  the  quiet-looking 
chamber-maid  if  she  knew.  She  did  not  dare  to  confess, 
so  it  was  left  in  silence,  only  for  the  time. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  >9 

The  landlord's  daughters  heard  raps,  and  saw  lights. 
Mysterious  forms  would  glide  by.  always  in  the  presence 
of  this  new  girl.  Not  long  after  the  return  of  the  pin 
there  came  another  evidence  which  to  the  minds  of  those 
people  showed  something  very  peculiar.  "When  the  land- 
lady asked  her  to  go  in  any  part  of  a  large  cellar  after 
things  not  easy  of  access,  whether  by  night  or  day,  she 
would  go  without  a  lamp  and  quickly  return  with  the 
desired  articles.  At  last  the  landlady  asked  her  how  she 
got  the  canned  fruit  which  was  labeled  and  placed  upon 
a  shelf  too  high  for  her  to  reach.  For  a  moment  she  lost 
her  caution  and  looked  dazed  and  could  not  answer. 

The}-  next  discovered  that  she  was  getting  up  and  doing 
work  unconscious  of  all  her  surroundings.  At  times  she 
would  get  up  and  do  large  washings  and  ironings  before 
the  family  had  risen,  utterly  unconscious  of  what  she  wai 
doing. 

"While  employed  at  the  Fort  Edward  Hotel  in  the 
6ame  town  she  was  asked  to  go  into  the  cellar  and  sort  over 
a  barrel  of  apples.  This  she  did  in  a  few  moments,  and  on 
returning  she  was  asked  how  she  got  along.  She  replied 
that  she  had  sorted  them  all,  saying  she  had  placed  the 
spotted  and  decayed  ones  in  one  place  and  put  the  good 
ones  back  in  the  barrel.  The  lady  looked  astonished  and 
said.  "Where  is  your  light?"  "I  shall  have  to  go  and 
look  for  myself." 

Coming  back,  she  said,  "You  never  did  that  alone  in 
this  world.     How  did  you  do  it?" 

The  girl  looked  confused  and  conscience-stricken,  but 
did  nut  tt-11  how  it  was  done.  The  cellar  was  very  dark. 
Invisible  hands  had  helped  her. 

In  recounting  the  incident  in  after  years  she  said: 
"Tlie  apples  rolled  in  and  out,  bounced  up  and  down, 
making  me  laugh  heartily  at  the  strange  help  I  was  re- 
ceiving.'' 

This  incidcnl  was  passed  without  much  comment  until 
the  potatoes  had  to  be  sorted.  This  time  she  was  watched 
from  a   side   window  in  the  cellar  through   which  onlv  a 


60  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

little  light  came.  Once  in  the  darkness  she  invoked  the  help 
of  one  who  seemed  to  be  her  constant  attendant.  The  pro- 
cess of  separation  began.  Bump,  went  the  potatoes,  right 
and  left,  whispering  voices  and  iridescent  flashes  of  won- 
derful light  illumined  the  whole  scene.  Those  watching 
believed  that  they  beheld  Dante's  Inferno  and  that  legions 
of  Devils  were  at  this  girl's  behest,  turning  themselves 
into  helpmates.  They  were  so  frightened  they  hastened 
out  of  their  hiding  and  when  she  appeared  demanded  an 
explanation. 

She  told  them  that  she  had  not  been  troubled,  that 
she  was  only  talking  to  herself.  And,  she  said  that  po- 
tatoes in  a  state  of  decomposition  always  became  phos- 
phorescent. It  would  not  do.  They  were  not  as  near  as 
they  had  wished,  so  they  accepted  her  assertions  and  the 
subject  was  dropped.  They  were  now  always  expectant 
and  watched  with  much  vigilance  this  pale-faced,  big, 
sad-eyed  girl,  who  looked  as  if  she  had  a  secret  preying 
upon  her  mind.  Noises  of  all  kinds  were  heard,  raps  and 
taps,  whistling  and  whisperings.  Strange  breezes  would 
fan  those  who  stood  close  to  her  and  yet  she  dared  not 
say,  "It's  a  Spirit."  If  she  explained,  avray  went  the 
bread;  not  only  from  herself  but  from  her  much  loved 
mother,  who  might  need  assistance. 

Thus  miserable  days  passed.  Her  heart  failed  her 
each  day.  Her  very  soul  repudiated  the  secret  of  her 
silence.  She  thought  they  would  spurn  her  from  their 
presence  if  she  should  divulge  the  reasons  and  sources 
of  her  help.  This  suppression  of  truth  was  the  hardest 
task  of  all.  To  die,  to  leave  these  shadows  of  life  far  be- 
hind was  now  her  constant  prayer.  Oh!  the  bitterness 
of  her  tears!  Would  they  ever  cease  to  flow?  Days 
passed.  At  last  she  could  stand  it  no  longer.  She  must 
see  her  mother.  The  longing  was  unendurable.  She  must 
go,  or  her  heart  would  break.  But  how  could  she  go? 
Her  love,  so  tender  and  true,  said  "Walk."  How  else 
could  she  get  there? 

She  obtained  permission  from  her  employer  and  started 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  61 

out  cm  the  long  journey,  walking  all  of  the  dreary  fifteen 
miles,  just  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  faces  that  made  her 
heaven.  When  she  left  she  wore  a  pair  of  poor  and 
meanly  made  shoes.  To  her  sorrow  and  discomfort,  she 
found  them  breaking  out  at  the  side.  Nothing  daunted, 
this  brave  girl,  with  love  lighting  the  altars  of  her  being, 
took  them  off  and  walked  over  grass,  sands  and  stones,  in 
her  bare  feet.  What  cared  she  if  blisters  and  bruises  cov- 
ered them  over,  as  they  did  when  she  had  completed  the 
trip,  walking  through  the  afternoon  until  quite  a  late  hour 
at  night.  Arriving  at  home  she  found  the  family  had 
retired.  She  could  not  rest  until  she  reached  her  mother's 
bed-side.  She  threw  herself  down  in  a  paroxysm  of  weep- 
ing, kissing  the  mother's  hands  over  and  over.  The  mother 
kissed  the  tear-wet  cheek  of  the  homesick  child  and  all  her 
grief  was  swept  away.  The  mother  said  she  was  glad  to  see 
her  and  had  been  thinking  of  her  ever  so  kindly.  To  add  the 
best  of  the  story  she  told  her  that  a  little  new  calf  had 
been  born  and  that  they  had  left  it  for  her  to  name.  This 
was  remembrance,  surely,  and  she  went  to  bed  happy  in 
the  thought  of  their  remembrance. 

"Envy  not  the  man  who  dwells  in  stately  halls  or  dome, 
If  with  its  splendor  he  hath  not 
A  world  of  love  at  home." 

Home,  however  humble,  to  the  souls  of  the  sensitive 
and  loving,  is  heaven.  The  bare  walls,  the  poor  com- 
plement of  furniture,  the  -carpetless  floors,  with  a  mother's 
presence  and  love,  was  enough  to»  rejoice  and  enkindle 
divine  inspirations  in  her  loving  heart.  For  this  child  to 
be  where  the  mother's  presence  was  felt  was  all  sufficient 
to  make  her  kneel  reverently  and  thank  the  Master  for 
all  good  gifts  and  for  the  pleasure  that  was  surely  hers. 

She  redoubled  every  energy,  aroused  every  activity  to 
show  her  appreciation  of  the  kind  permit,  which  gave  her 
the  vacation  and  bo  renewed  her  life  and  removed  the 
heart  hunger  that  swept  in  great  waves  over  her  shadowed 
being.  The  father  asked  if  the  evil  spirit  was  still  with 
her.     She  timidly  answered,  "Yes,  father." 


62  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"Do  they  know  you?"     She  said.  "No." 

Then  it  is  my  duty  to  go  and  tell  them  that  you  have 
the  evil  one  with  you.  Whereupon  she  pleaded  with 
him  not  to  do  this,  saying:  "See,  father,  I  have  brought 
mother  all  my  money  and  this  will  help  you,  and  if  you 
turn  me  from  that  place  what  shall  I  do?  I  was  so  home- 
sick that  I  walked  barefooted  all  the  way.  My  aching 
heart  pleads  for  one  word  at  least,  of  kindness,  one  look 
of  love,  one  token  of  kind  recognition." 

She  had  now  taken  another  name  than  her  own,  fearing 
her  peculiar  fame  might  have  reached  their  notice.  So  it 
had,  but  they  never  dreamed  that  this  quiet  girl,  knowing 
little  of  outside  and  worldy  affairs,  was  the  ogre  they  had 
heard  and  read  about,  for  at  the  time  of  her  attempted 
conversion  in  the  old  school  house,  the  neighboring  village 
p'aper  had  given  a  racy  account  of  "The  Devil  in  a  Re- 
vival Meeting,"  which  caused  much  consternation.  The 
article  was  copied  in  the  Keokuk,  la.,  and  Warsaw  papers, 
and  they  might  have  recalled  the  newspaper  reports  if 
she  went  by  her  own  name. 

She  returned  to  the  Andrews'  House  at  Warsaw.  The 
good  family  who  had  befriended  her  and  given  her  a 
home,  were  glad  to  have  her  return. 

One  night  Mrs.  Andrews  sent  her  daughter  Sarah  down 
in  the  cellar  with  her  to  get  some  needed  things.  The 
daughter  carried  a  candle.  Suddenly  the  candle  was 
snuffed  out.  Out  of  the  utter  darkness  shone  a  white 
robed  form,  that  spoke  and  made  whispered  commands 
to  each  to  halt.  Sarah  screamed  with  fright  and  fell  to 
the  floor.  Several  in  the  room  above  heard  the  noise  and 
came  running  down  stairs  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  her 
fright.  They  were  informed  by  the  now  recovered  girl 
that  she  saw  a  gho^t,  or  the  devil's  imp.  They  were  pre- 
pared to  believe  this  from  the  incidents  of  the  past.  Thus 
confronted  with  evidence  sufficient  to  confound  the  wisest, 
Maud,  with  tear  dimmed  eyes  and  aching  heart,  confessed 
it  all.  She  told  of  her  difficulty  in  getting  a  place,  her 
poverty,  her  love  for  her  mother  and  her  home.     She  told 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  63 

of  her  love  for  her  father  who  seemed  to  condemn  her 
so  much.  All  was  poured  out  in  fascinating  candor.  And 
her  appeals  made  them  pity  and  bend  in  kindness  and  love 
towards  the  object  of  their  discussions.  After  this  occur- 
rence they  did  not  really  want  her,  fearing  the  excitement 
among  their  patrons  and  church  people  would  be  un- 
pleasant. 

DECIDES   TO    COMMIT   SUICIDE. 

Where  to  go  now?  AVhat  to  do?  "The  old  Missis- 
sippi river!"  The  murmur  of  waters  was  alluring  music 
to  her  troubled  spirit.  The  gleam  and  glitter  of  the  "Ignis 
fatuus"  shone  out  from  every  wave.  How  her  soul 
yearned  for  rest!  Where  else  could  she  find  so  quiet,  so 
beautiful  a  resting  place.  Worn  out  by  oppressions,  full 
of  misgivings,  she  felt  that  she  had  no  right  to  live.  She 
thought  that  God's  sun  never  shone  on  a  more  unfortunate 
mortal  than  she  who  prayed  so  incessantly  to  be  redeemed 
from  what  all  thought  to  be  evil  forces.  She  felt  desolate 
and  alone;  with  hope  and  ambition  crushed  by  unkind 
words  and  cruel  treatment.  There,  in  silence  and  solitude, 
at  the  brink  of  the  "Father  of  Waters,"  she  resolved 
to  make 

"A  sudden  rush  from  life's  meridian  joys! 
A  wrench  from  all  we  love,  from  all  we  are." 

r 

She  knelt,  and  with  all  the  fervor  of  her  innocent 
heart,  poured  out  her  soul  to  God,  imploring  His  tender 
mercy,  His  safe  guidance  into  some  haven  of  repose. 

Why  was  relief  denied  to  the  ever  sensitive  soul  of 
this  pleading  child,  for  she  was  only  in  her  thirteenth  year. 

She  had  received  several  serious  accidents  that  had 
given  her  physical  as  well  as  mental  pain.  She  was  badly 
burned  at  live  years;  had  been  blind  and  recovered  her 
Bight  in  her  eighth  year,  and  at  ten  had  been  bitten  by  a 
mad  dog.  In  all  of  these  ills  she  had  not  sutTered  as  now. 
There,  on  the  bank  <>i"  the  old  river,  reviewing  the  past 
with  its  hardships,  she  stood  shrinking  back  affrighted 
before  the  future  so  securely  veiled  from  her  eyes.    Blinded 


64  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

by  tears,  forlorn  and  desolate,  she  stood,  wondering  if  it 
were  not  best  then  and  there  to  end  it  all.  A  little  fall,  a 
few  feet,  a  little  struggle,  all  would  be  ended,  and  she 
would  be  at  rest.  She  would  be  at  the  end  *?f  a  life  which 
some  baffling  fate  seemed  to  beat  back  half  finished.  There 
seemed  to  be  some  mad,  irresistible  pressure  hurrying  her 
on  and  out.  Hate  was  utterly  foreign  to  her  nature.  Her 
heart  beat  so  kindly  towards  all,  though  she  had  been 
tossed  by  every  breeze  upon  seemingly  dark  seas. 

She  had  never  been  taught  a  moral  principle  by  mortal 
being.  Despite  all  the  bruises,  the  stains  and  the  furnace 
heats  that  had  done  their  best  to  darken  and  blight  the 
brightness  of  her  soul,  nothing  had  ever  debased  it,  nor 
made  it  bitter.  Her  trust  in  God  had  failed  only  inasmuch 
as  she  thought  He  would  not  countenance  so  wicked  a 
sinner,  as  she  had  been  made  to  believe  herself  to  be.  She 
had  sought  Him  with  her  soul's  sincere  desire,  thinking 
she  might  draw  near  unto  Him,  and  that  He  would  answer 
her  prayers  and  release  her  from  the  toils  and  burdens  so 
heavily  weighing  her  down.  She  was  happy  in  the  raging, 
tempestuous  storms  when  she  believed  the  Divine  Master 
was  near.  She  felt  Him  in  the  golden  sunshine,  in  the 
wooded  dells,  on  the  fertile  prairies,  in  the  growing  grain 
and  in  all  of  nature's  beautiful  forms.  Why  could  not 
human  beings,  God's  creatures,  greet  her  in  kindness?  She 
would  end  it  all.  She  would  solve  the  great  problem,  the 
mystery  and  the  riddle  of  existence.  Returning  to  the 
hotel  she  told  them  she  had  found  a  place  and  would  leave 
at  seven  o'clock  that  evening. 

Where  was  the  restraining  hand?  Could  it  save  her 
and  lift  the  weight  of  sorrow  from  her  young  heart?  Is 
there  a  chasm  isolating  the  two  spheres  ?  Does  this  bright, 
beautiful  earth  whirl  madly  in  vacuum,  devoid  of  all 
spiritual  law  and  force,  devoid  of  all  spiritual  vitality  ?  Is 
there  naught  but  matter  and  blind  force?  Is  it  an  iso- 
lated creation,  driving  to  wreck  and  ruin  against  the 
whirling  and  swirling  elements  called  divine?  Do  impos- 
sible or  improbable  chasms  separate  us  from  the  .dear  ones 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  65 

gone  before?  Could  not  the  way  be  made  plain  regard- 
less of  creed-bound  souls  protesting  that  the  evil  one  was 
in  and  through  it  all  without  thus  crushing  an  innocent 
soull  Are  the  trials,  the  earea  and  duties  which  we  in  our 
ignorance  call  drudgery,  tin-  weights  and  counterpoises 
of  our  being,  to  give  the  pendulum  of  our  spirit  its  true 
vibration  ?  ITow  could  this  child,  whose  life  seemed  so 
cold  and  severe,  whose  cup  of  bitterness  seemed  so  full, 
whose  soul  overflowed  with  bitter  lamentations,  whose 
prayers  had  not  been  answered,  solve  these  great,  intricate 
problems?  Standing  on  the  bank  of  this  great  river,  in 
the  shadows  that  surrounded  her  life  so  completely,  why 
should  she  not  throw  herself  upon  the  mercy  of  God  in 
tin-  dark  rolling  flood  before  her? 

"When  night  came  she  went  forth  to  keep  her  word  to 
herself;  to  end  the  young  life  just  budding  into 
womanhood. 

Arriving  at  the  river,  she  reverently  knelt  and  raised 
her  soul  to  the  God  of  mercies.  No  devotee  could  have 
prayed  more  humbly,  more  earnestly,  or  more  devoutly. 
No  human  soul,  longing  for  eternal  rest,  had  more  sin- 
cerely cast  itself  upon  the  arms  of  Infinite  Mercy  than 
this  innocent  child,  feeling  as  she  did  that  all  misunder- 
stood her  and  that  the  doors  of  eternal  mercy  were  closed. 
As  upon  her  bended  knees  she  poured  out  her  soul  to  the 
Giver  of  all  gifts,  a  feeling  gradually  came  over  her  that 
the  infinite  mercy  of  God* was  all-sufficient;  that  possibly 
His  mercy  might  be  vouchsafed  to  her  wounded  heart. 
With  greater  humility  and  more  fervent  zeal  did  she 
breathe  out  her  petitions  to  the  Throne  of  Grace.  Grad- 
ually she  began  to  feel  that  it  would  be  wrong  in  the 
sight  of  God  and  the  holy  angels  to  thus  destroy  her  life. 

How  earnestly  she  prayed  her  Father  in  Heaven  to 
forgive  her!  Weeping  most  bitterly  she  prayed  again  and 
again,  eftfa  prayer,  if  possible,  more  earnest  and  more  sin- 
cere. Would  the  world  believe  her  to  be  friendless,  helpless 
and  still  think  kindly  of  her? 

The  moments  passed  quickly.     Rhe  feared  her  prayers 


66  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

would  not  be  heard.  She  prayed  again  and  again  to  be 
received  into  God's  infinite  arms  of  mercy.  It  was  the 
only  refuge  she  knew  that  could  shield  her  from  her  trials. 
The  last  prayer  was  said.— was  done!  It  was  the  best 
she  could  do. 

On  opening  her  eyes  to  take  a  last,  lingering  look  and 
to  bid  a  long  farewell  to  all  objects  familiar  to  her  mem- 
ory, there  appeared  to  her  wondering  gaze  an  army  of 
white-robed  beings.  Legions  of  angels  stood  before  her. 
Using  her  own  words:  "It  seemed  as  if  every  blade  of 
grass  had  suddenly,  by  some  wondrous  magic,  been  trans- 
formed into  human  beings,  clad  in  spotless  robes  of  purest 
white."  The  company  parted,  and  from  the  center  of  the 
group  came  a  stately  woman,  who  seemed  especially  lovely, 
whose  oval  face,  and  large,  luminous,  gray  eyes  seemed 
fairly  to  beam  with  light  and  love.  And  yet  she  seemed 
troubled,   as   if   with  some   silent   and   unexpected  regret. 

She  approached  the  kneeling  girl  and  spoke  so  kindly, 
saying :  ' '  Dear  child,  would  you,  wilfully,  wrongfully  and 
wickedly  sacrifice  the  life  God  has  given  you,  because  you 
are  weary  and  sorrowful — because  trials  and  temptations 
have  come  upon  you?  Nay,  you  are  even  apprehensive 
that  this  throng  of  loving  friends,  whose  souls  are  as 
white  as  their  shining  robes,  seek  only  to  destroy  thee. 
Nay,  behold!  These  have  passed  through  fiery  ordeals. 
Their  garments  have  been  washed  in  the  waters  of  tribula- 
tion and  they  have  been  redeemed  as  I  have  been  and  as 
you  must  surely  be,  my  poor,  misunderstood  and  beloved 
child.  This  power  which  has  caused  you  so  much  sorrow 
i^  of  God.  It  is  God-given  to  uplift,  not  to  downcast  your 
soul.  On  the  morrow  redemption  shall  come  to  you.  The 
life  you  think  so  full  of  woe  and  so  blighted  shall  rise 
with  the  dawn  of  another  day,  full  of  brightest  hopes." 

Thus  spoke  this  lovely  visitant  from  the  shores  of 
another  world.  Again  the  beautiful  words  fell  in  sweetest 
cadence :  ' '  Thou,  my  child,  hast  prayed  most  earnestly, 
not  for  gold  or  silver,  but  for  a  mission  to  humanity.  It 
shall  be  granted,  and  in  its  light  thou  shalt  forever  after 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  67 

move.  Beautiful  precepts  shall  be  thy  guidb.  Thy  star  of 
hope  hath  risen.  We  bid  thee  arise  and  seek  thy  home, 
with  the  consciousness  that  we  who  pledge  and  promise 
thee  will  bring  light  out  of  this  darkness.  "We  will 
straighten  the  tangled  web  of  life  that  hath  run  so  strangely. 
All  thy  prayers  and  supplications,  seeming  but  mockery  to 
thy  soul 's  great  needs,  shall  be  answered.  Meet  all  troubles 
bravely  and  thy  heart,  bathed  in  divine  life  and  light,  shall 
be  so  illumined  that  your  teachings  shall  find  ready  accept- 
ance in  the  hearts  of  those  who  have  reviled  thee.  Those 
now  refusing  this  light  of  Christianity  shall  revere  thee. 
Child  of  glorious  endowment,  return  to  thy  home !  To-mor- 
row thy  redemption  shall  come.  Emancipation  shall  be 
thine.  On  earth  thou  art  of  my  race  and  lineage.  In  the 
world  of  spirit  I  am  thy  guardian.  Remember  that  into 
all  lives  some  sorrow  must  come.  Much  of  sorrow  and 
sadness  has  come  to  thee.  More  must  come,  for  it  is  so 
written.  For  every  blow  we  will  bring  a  balm.  Crushed 
must  be  the  flower  that  yields  the  sweetest  perfume.  Arise, 
fail  not,  and  falter  not.  for  we  are  with  thee  hereafter 
forever. ' ' 

The  hapless  girl  arose,  never  doubting  but  that  it 
was  best  and  that  all  would  soon  be  righted.  Returning  to 
the  surprised  landlady  she  told  her  the  whole  vision,  what 
they  said,  and  asked  to  remain  over  night  and  the  request 
was  granted.  She  arose  early  the  next  morning  and  went 
about  her  usual  duties,  as  her  place  had  not  yet  been  filled. 

About  nine  o'clock,  when  her  work  was  finished,  she 
went  into  the  sitting  room.  Seating  herself  beside  the 
table  she  thought  over  all  that  had  been  said  by  the  beau- 
tiful host  of  last  night. 

Emancipation  1  What  could  it  mean?  It  must  be  the 
finding  of  another  place.  She  sat  pondering,  when  a  rap 
came  upon  the  office  door  and  an  elderly  gentleman  entered 
and  said  to  her: 

".Miss,  will  you  tell  me  where  I  can  find  the  land- 
lord?" She  cheerfully  replied  that  just  a  few  moments  ago 
she  had  seen  him  in  the  yard,  and  if  he  would  be  seated 


C8  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

she    would    call    him.     She    arose,   and    the   table,   as  if 
endowed  with  life,  moved  after  her. 

This  was  too  much.  Bursting  into  tears  she  looked 
helplessly  at  the  old  gentleman  who  was  convulsed  with 
laughter.    He  said  ' '  Tut,  tut,  what  have  we  here  1 ' ' 

She  tried  to  answer  and  then  burst  forth,  "It  is  the 
evil  one,  sir,  and  he  has  made  me  lose  my  place  again.  Oh, 
dear,  oh  dear,  what  can  I  do?" 

The  gentleman  laughed  heartily  and  kindly  grasping 
her  hand  he  said,  "Why,  God  bless  you  my  dear  child, 
you  are  a  medium." 

"A  what?"  asked  the  pleased  and  startled  girl. 
"What  is  a  medium?" 

The  manifestation  of  these  occult  or  psychic  forces 
had  never  been  defined  to  her  and  she  could  not  guess 
its  import. 

When  the  table  was  righted  and  her  story  told  in 
plain,  simple  fashion,  the  stranger  explained  how  against 
his  will  he  had  been  led  to  the  place.  He  said  as  there  was 
no  special  reason  for  him  to  go  he  would  remain  a  few 
days.  The  same  power  that  had  impelled  the  girl  im- 
pelled him  onward  that  he  might  rescue  her  from  such  suf- 
fering and  doubt.  He  so  gently  explained  it  all,  and  said 
in  such  rapturous  and  eulogistic  tones,  "You  are  one  of 
the  best  mediums  in  the  world,  bless  God !  I  have  just  come 
from  a  visit  to  two  most  wonderful  girls,  the  Fox  sisters, 
in  New  York. ' ' 

He  told  of  their  wonderful  raps  which  corresponded 
with  these  raps  that  had  so  puzzled  and  interested  the 
community  at  large. 

The  landlady  was  called  and  told  all  these  revela- 
tions. He  defined  the  source  and  origin  as  that  of  spirits 
of  the  so-called  dead,  but  who  exist  in  the  spirit  world. 

That  night,  at  his  request,  a  cabinet  was  improvised, 
and  a  small  company  was  invited.  The  curtain  was  ar- 
ranged as  before  described,  using  a  small  room  on  the  sec- 
ond floor  as  the  cabinet.  The  results  were  marvelous  and 
so  frightened  one  or  two  of  those  present  that  they  nearly 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  69 

fainted  and  were  obliged  to  leave.  They  tied  the  medium's 
hands  ,iik1  feel  and  put  her  in  a  gunny-saek  and  tied  it 
about  her  neck  and  placed  her  in  the  cabinet. 

Materialized  faces  and  forms,  hands  Large  and  small 
appeared,  voices  whispered  and  sang,  feet  danced  merrily 
on  the  inside  of  the  cabinet.  They  were  evidently  those 
of  both  nun  and  women.  The  medium's  voice  could  be 
heard  talking  and  remonstrating  with  them  and  asking 
them  not  to  roll  her  around  so  recklessly.  All  this  and 
much  more  than  can  be  told  occurred  in  two  hours.  Names 
were  given,  all  of  those  present  were  personally  called  to 
the  curtain  and  all  were  called  by  their  own  names.  In 
most  eases  the  names  were  unknown  to  the  medium. 

Some  one  whispered,  ""Was  she  tied?  "  The  medium, 
hearing,  said,  "Open  the  door,  I  am  pretty  nearly 
smothered. ' ' 

They  carried  her  out  and  examined  the  sack,  and  found 
everything  as  it  had  been  left.  What  was  it,  what  could  it 
be?  These  forms  with  such  white  hands  and  garments, 
while  the  medium's  clothes  were  plain  and  dark.  Iler 
hands  were  toil-stained  and  unlike  the  dainty  white  hands 
thrust  out  from  the  aperture  of  the  cabinet.  Not  one,  not 
two.  but  a  dozen  hands  thrust  out  from  every  possible 
and  available  place. 

The  light  and  the  investigation  of  the  cabinet  revealed 
nothing  hut  a  roll  of  humanity  tied  in  a  sack  with  hands 
and  feet  tied  strongly  together  with  waxed  and  tarred 
rope,  bare  room,  bare  walls,  nothing. 

Oh,  puzzling  mystery!  Oh,  siupenduous  facts!  What 
were  they  I  \'<>  one  but  the  stranger  attempted  to  explain. 
The  gentleman  was  Mr.  John  J.  Hall,  from  New  York 
City.  He  knew  and  laughed  and  chatted  and  explained 
to  the  half-frightened  and  wholly  astonished  sitters.  Hut 
the  old  creeds,  inbred  and  taught  so  long,  led  them  to 
believe  that  it  was  of  the  devil  rather  than  of  Qod.  They 
could  give  no  opinion,  no  intelligent  reason  for  such  belief, 
for  this  metaphysics  of  phantasy.  For  several  evenings 
they  experimented  in  every  way  known  to  their  skepticism 


70  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

and  sought  to  account  for  this  power.  It  was  more  po- 
tential than  mere  animal  force,  and  more  mysterious  than 
myths  of  Oriental  creeds.  It  was  individualized,  personi- 
fied and  essentially  human,  giving  names  and  showing 
faces  of  family  and  friends  long  since  laid  in  the  grave. 
Surely,  we  must  be  the  product  of  centuries  of  dogmatic, 
ecclesiastical  domination  not  to  give  reason  and  intelligent 
thought  liberty  to  accept  a  rational  solution  of  this  intel- 
ligence wherein  lies  the  secret  of  soul. 

It's  nature's  mystic  message 
That  prophet,  bard  and  sage, 
Have  fixed  in  snatches 
On  the  bright,  immortal  page. 

— Babcock. 

To  call  it  the  devil,  evil  spirit,  or  spirits,  admits  the 
question.  But  why  evil?  Are  not  the  same  avenues  open 
to  the  good  and  the  same  forces  at  their  command?  Are 
they  not  amenable  to  the  same  laws  and  conditions?  If 
these  things  exist  they  can  only  be  in  accordance  with 
nature's  laws— God's  laws.  Does  Divine  Intelligence 
change  laws,  forces  and  conditions  to  suit  our  creeds  or  our 
needs?     Nay,  nay,  the  mills  of  the  gods,— grind  they  all. 

If  the  lips  of  evil,  long-stilled,  can  again  fall  into 
sound  and  speech,  why  not  those  of  the  good  ?  Forms  and 
faces  in  all  the  semblance  of  human  life  that  had  been, 
whispering  words  of  advice  and  information  pertinent  to 
these  religious  people,  came  to  them  at  these  meetings; 
came  through  law  and  under  conditions  essential  to  law's 
operations;  came  by  the  great  and  eternal  law  that  "like 
attracts  like."  Surely  those  who  attribute  these  things  to 
evil  cannot  themselves  be  evil  to  thus  attract  evil.  This 
praying,  tender-hearted,  persecuted  child-medium  could 
not  be  evil.  These  spirit  voices  and  these  individuals  who 
asserted  their  continued  existence  and  exhorted  all  to  live 
good  and  pure  lives  were  not  of  evil  origin. 

These  spirits  of  the  departed  congregated  there  who 
exhorted  all  to  prayer  and  upright  lives,  who  always  and 
persistently   said   that   saving   grace   came   only  through 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  71 

good  and  noble  lives  and  deeds  in  harmony  with  the  laws 
of  nature  and  the  spirit  world,  were  not  of  the  evil  one. 

Their  intelligence  precluded  the  possibility  of  their 
being  subtle,  latent  forces  in  nature;  or  the  morbid  affec- 
tion of  a  disordered  brain.  There  is  only  one  hypothesis 
upon  which  all  these  phenomena  can  be  explained— one 
easy,  natural,  scientific  and  logical  explanation.  And  this 
the  church  rejects  and  flounders  in  deep  water  for  ons 

■nited  tO  its  creed. 

Was  all  Hlis  punishment  and  bruising  of  body,  these 
trials  and  humiliations  of  spirit,  this  poverty  and  hard, 
menial  labor  necessary  before  this  girl's  soul  could  be 
attuned  to  their  celestial  music,  their  voice  and  mission? 

If  so.  the  perfection  of  these  manifestations  and  the 
self-sacrificing  love  and  humility  of  this  child  would  seem 
to  indicate  the  end  of  all  her  trials,  sorrows  and  perse- 
cutions. If  not  the  end,  where  in  creation's  great  labora- 
tory are  these  trials  prepared,  or,  are  they  the  reflex  action 
of  prenatal  thought,  or.  must  we  look  for  causes  where 
the  stars  and  constellations  move  and  revolve? 

She  now  believed  her  troubles  were  all  ended.  Her 
new-found  friend  would  go  with  her  and  explain  it  all  to 
her  father  and  tell  him  his  daughter  had  a  great  and 
glorious  gift  — a  mission  to  humanity.  A  carriage  was  pro- 
vided and  they  started.  The  sun  and  flowers  of  that  bright 
May  morning  could  not  eclipse  the  happy  face  of  the 
child,  whose  soul  seemed  to  bubble  over  with  song.  This 
was  redemption!  This  was  what  the  white-robed  angel  at 
the  river  meant.  The  lesson  left  an  impress  that  remained 
through  all  the  coming  years  and  gave  her  feeling  and 
sympathy  for  other  souls,  weary  of  life  and  its  many  trials 
and  sorrows. 

She  was  happy.  She  was  not  in  league  with  the  devil. 
It  was  God's  highest,  holiest  and  best  gift  to  the  workers 
of  His  will.  It  was  the  glorious  gift  of  the  spirit  world  to 
prove  the  triumph  of  mind  over  matter;  life  over  death. 
It  was  a  celestial  gift  to  prove  the  continuity  of  human 
life  with  its  love,  its  memory  and  its  individuality. 


72  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

AT  HOME  AGAIN. 

The  old  home  was  reached.  The  father  was  there. 
Seeing  the  stranger  in  the  carriage  with  his  daughter, 
he  did  not  forget  his  old-time  Southern  hospitality  and 
endeavored  to  entertain  him.  The  child,  with  watchful 
eyes  and  anxious  heart,  noted  every  movement.  She  soon 
understood  that  they  were  brothers  of  the  same  lodge, 
bound  to  friendly  regard  by  some  golden  link  which  she 
did  not  understand,  but  felt.  Her  heart  bounded  with 
great  joj^,  in  perfect  peace  and  happiness.  Truly  the  celes- 
tial company  at  the  river  had  redeemed  their  pledge  and 
emancipated  her  from  the  chains  and  binding  fetters  that 
had  enthralled*  her  mind  and  soul  and  restrained  her 
actions. 

The  father  was  for  a  time  kindly  reconciled  to  his 
now  happy  daughter.  She  tried  with  every  impulse  of 
heart  and  mind,  during  the  long  summer  months  to  admin- 
ister to  their  mental  and  physical  wants.  She  was  untir- 
ing in  all  her  efforts  by  day  and  by  night  to  do  her  utmost 
for  them.  She  worked  in  the  corn  field,  planting  and  hoe- 
ing, raking  in  the  meadows,  always  working  with  the 
greatest  contentment  and  happiness. 

Her  supreme  happiness  and  contentment  under  the 
burden  of  such  unusual  and  arduous  labor  attracted  the 
attention  of  all  in  the  surrounding  neighborhood.  They 
had  only  words  of  greatest  praise  and  admiration  for  her. 
Her  exemplary  conduct  and  her  great  desire  to  aid  and 
assist  her  parents,  even  by  engaging  in  the  most  burden- 
some labor  in  the  field,  attracted  the  attention  and  admira- 
tion of  her  father's  hired  man.  He  watched  the  growing 
brightness  of  her  face  until  he  lost  his  heart  to  a  mere 
girl,  then  only  thirteen  years  old.  He  had  horses,  cattle,  a 
little  patch  of  land,  and  he  reasoned  he  was  good  enough  to 
be  her  lord  and  master. 

Day  after  day,  as  they  worked  in  and  out  of  the  grow- 
ing crops,  he  watched  this  happy  girl  until  he  put  his 
thoughts  into  words. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  73 

When  he  spoke  to  her  of  his  wishes  she  only  shrank 
away  in  fear  and  trembling  for  he  was  course  and  rude, 
and  brutal  to  the  cattle.     This  she  bravely  told  him. 

She  was  immediately  controlled  by  the  spirits  and  they  . 
repeated  the  rejection,  saying:  "She  is  not  for  you."  The 
father  was  told  of  the  decision  of  both  daughter  and  spirit*. 
He  at  once  showed  his  petty  tyranny,  and  said  that  she 
should  marry  him.  Thus  reassured,  the  course,  vulgar 
fellow  went  on  to  make  preparations  for  the  wedding. 

At  this  time  she  slept  on  an  old-fashioned  lounge 
standing  at  the  foot  of  her  parents'  bed.  Lying  awake  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  she  heard  her  name  mentioned  by 
the  parents  and  plans  for  her  marriage  discussed.  The 
father  said  it  was  best  that  she  should  marry  him.  The 
mother  thought  so,  too.  This  beloved  mother  of  hers!  Oh, 
could  it  be  so?  No  more  sleep  for  her  that  night.  To  her 
surcharged  soul  and  refined  aspirations  the  sacrifice  seemed 
beyond  endurance.  What  could  be  done?  Days  went  by 
and  preparations  were  made  for  a  quiet  wedding.  The 
night  came  and  she  found  that  pleading  would  do  no  good. 

In  the  shadow  of  the  evening  she  slipped  out  of  the 
house  and  ran  away— ran  from  the  cruel  doom  that  con- 
fronted her,  out  across  the  corn  field,  out  and  on — on  she 
flew  with  winged  feet,  shrinking  and  shuddering,  for  fear 
they  might  pursue  and  compel  her  to  marry  the  brutal 
man  they  had  determined  should  be  her  husband— a  man 
she  loathed  from  the  bottom  of  her  heart.  But  she  eluded 
their  search;  she  frustrated  their  plans. 

No,  it  was  not  so  written.  She  was  safely  away.  Now 
for  a  long,  desperate  tramp.  Where?  Her  thoughts  were 
so  distraught  that  anywhere  was  better  than  home.  Aye, 
better  kill  herself,  as  she  had  once  intended.  Anything, 
any  place,  only  not  back  home.  She  finally  decided  to 
seek  friends  at  Warsaw. 

The  truth  about  her  gift  had  opened  a  new  world  to 
many  who  eagerly  grasped  the  thought  even  of  the  return 
of  their  loved  ones.  To  them  she  would  go.  When 
she  left  them,  had  they  not  said  cheerfully,  "Come  back 


74  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

if  you  need  friends."  There  she  would  go.  Fear  lent 
wings  to  her  feet.  She  flew  over  the  fields.  She  fairly 
skimmed  along  until  exhaustion  and  fear  overcame  her. 
She  was  suddenly  beset  by  a  new  danger.  A  big  dog 
sprang  up  in  her  way,  barking  in  a  most  vicious  and 
menacing  manner.  Fortunately,  there  was  a  fence  near  by 
and  upon  this  she  climbed  in  self  protection.  The  brute 
barked,  snarled  and  seemed  actually  frenzied  over  his 
defeat.  The  good  farmer  whose  place  she  was  crossing 
came  out  and  called  loudly  to  the  dog  to  stop  barking, 
and  then  said  sternly,  "Who  is  there?"  The  frightened 
girl,  sitting  upon  the  topmost  rail,  could  not  speak.  The 
farmer  again  said,  "If  you  don't  answer,  I'll  fire."  Then 
came  a  timid,  agonized  voice,  "It's  I,  sir." 
-    "It's  who?"  said  the  farmer. 

"Nobody  that  you  know.  Oh,  please,  sir,  call  off 
your  dog  and  permit  me  to  go  on  my  way." 

The  old  farmer  had  now  advanced  and  saw  before 
him  what  seemed  to  his  honest  old  eyes  a  culprit  bent  on 
mischief,  and  he  asked  again  what  she  wanted.  Bursting 
into  tears  she  tried  to  talk,  but  could  not  answer.  He  led 
her  into  the  house  where  she  told  her  story  in  the  light  of 
a  lamp  and  in  his  wife's  presence.  She  told  them  her  piti- 
ful plight,  how  they  insisted  she  should  marry  the  beastly 
fellow  who  was  so  low  and  brutal  that  she  had  run  away. 
She  begged  them  not  to  take  her  back.  No,  indeed,  but  she 
must  go  to  bed  with  their  own  children,  and  in  the  morn- 
ing he  would  see  that  she  reached  Warsaw  safely.  He  had 
two  dear  daughters  of  his  own  and  pitied  her  misery.  He 
had  heard  of  her  gift,  and  wanted  to  attend  a  meeting 
when  she  came  back,  if  she  ever  returned. 

These  good  farmer  folks,  who  knew  her  father  quite 
well,  could  readily  realize  the  cause  of  the  girl's  trouble. 
They  would  help  her,  and  hoped  to  see  her  again.  Many 
times  after  this  event,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson,  for  such 
were  their  names,  proved  good  and  true  friends  to  her.  She 
sought  their  hospitable  roof  many  times  when  merciless 
storms   beset   her   pathway.      Next   day   she   reached   her 


CONTINl'ITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  75 

destination.  Ilt-r  old  friends  greeted  her  so  kindly  that 
her  grief  was  now  buried  beneath  the  fleeting,  busy  hours 
of  disseminating  spiritual  truths  to  all  who  sought  her. 
Her  old  benefactor  was  notified  of  her  return,  who,  on 
his  return  from  St.  Louis,  where  he  had  gone  on  business, 
took  her  once  more  in  his  care.  He  supplied  her  with  an 
appropriate  wardrobe  and  introduced  her  to  some  of  the 
leading  citizens  of  Warsaw  and  called  their  attention  to 
the  chain  of  unbroken  evidence  of  immortality. 

Here  commenced  her  public  work.  Many  of  the  lead- 
ing citizens  of  this  little  creed-bound  place  dared  to  take 
great  interest  in  her  mediumship.  Among  the  number 
were  Mr.  James  Wood.  Mr.  Worthen,  the  State  Geologist, 
and  wife,  who  had  been  investigating  the  phenomena  and 
had  found  the  truth  of  spirit  return  and  acknowledged 
it.  In  this  little  village  many  others  became  con- 
vinced of  the  fact  of  spirit  return— of  the  truth  of  spirit- 
ualism and  its  pure  teachings,  and  adhered  to  its  princi- 
ples and  precepts. 

She  held  a  number  of  seances  at  the  homes  of  prom- 
inent citizens,  but  a  wider  field  was  opened  for  her.  The 
manifestations  had  by  this  time  attracted  widespread 
attention.  Mr.  Worthen,  State  Geologist,  was  still  a  resi- 
dent of  Warsaw,  but  spent  much  of  his  time  at  Spring- 
field, the  capital  of  the  state.  She  held  several  seances  at 
his  home  with  wonderful  results. 

CONVINCING  DEMONSTRATION. 

At  one  of  these  meetings  a  very  unusual  manifestation 
occurred.  The  kitchen  was  used  as  a  cabinet.  Back  of 
the  kitchen  was  the  wood  shed.  The  medium  was  securely 
tied  and  had  been  in  the  cabinet  a  long  time.  The  fire  had 
burned  low  when  someone  proposed  that  it  be  replenished. 

The  good  master  of  the  house  said  to  the  controlling 
spirit,  "Can't  you  bring  a  stick  of  wood?"  The  request 
was  scarcely  made  when  a  lar'_r<'  stick  of  wood  was  thrown 
out  of  the  cabinet.     This  gave  them  positive  evidence  of 


76  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

the  direct  agency  of  spirits,  and  their  ability  to  move 
heavy  weights,  as  they  knew  the  medium  was  securely  tied. 

Our  medium  some  time  before  this  had  been  named 
"Maud  Eugenia."  Her  parents  learning  of  her  great 
popularity  among  the  cultured  and  better  classes  were 
reconciled  to  her  refusing  to  conform  to  their  wishes  in 
marrying  J.  M.  B..  and  now  asked  her  to  return  home. 
They  promised  that  she  should  not  be  troubled  about  the 
marriage  any  more.  She,  loving  them  with  her  whole 
heart,  only-  too  gladly  returned  home.  There,  night  after 
night,  she  held  meetings  for  the  now  thoroughly  aroused 
country  folks.  A  wild  excitement  prevailed.  People 
came  from  every  point  of  the  compass. 

On  her  way  home  from  Warsaw,  and  the  first  time  she 
had  ever  ridden  on  the  cars,  she  met  one,  who,  of  all 
others,  was  to  play  the  most  important  part  in  her  life ;  who 
is  now  known  to  many  thousands  in  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try as 

CLARENCE    WILBOURN,    THE    CONTROL. 

The  thousands  who,  in  after  years,  attended  this  girl 
medium's  seances,  know  the  control,  Clarence,  and  remem- 
ber his  grand  singing  and  joking,  fun-loving  characteris- 
tics and  wise  advice.  She  occupied  a  seat  in  the  car  by 
herself,  a  shy,  modest,  old-fashioned  girl,  looking  much 
older  than  she  was.  Strolling  through  the  car  came  this 
handsome,  curly-headed  young  man.  "Hello,  who  is  this?" 
He  stopped  and  sat  down  in  the  seat  in  front  of  her. 

Who  can  gauge  the  silent  force — the  law — that  attracts 
two  people?  He  asked  her  name.  "Maud  Eugenia,"  she 
replied.  "Hey,  ho,  but  that's  a  high  sounding  name.  It 
is  quite  foreign,  quite  aristocratic.  I  thought  by  your 
old-fashioned  looks  it  might  be  Jane  or  Elizabeth,"  was  his 
good-natured  reply. 

This  brought  tears  to  her  eyes,  that  this  handsome 
young  man  should  make  fun  of  her.  She  told  him  of  her 
trials  and  troubles  and  why  they  came  to  her.  He  was  just 
out  of  a  St.  Louis  law  school — out  in  the  West  looking 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE!  77 

up  and  buying  horses  for  bis  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Frank 
Middleton.  He  was  deeply  interested  in  her  recital  and 
asked  where  she  lived.  They  parted  and  he  said  he  would 
come  and  Bee  her.  He  has  since  said  he  was  attracted  to 
her  by  a  strange  fascination  he  could  not  then  understand. 

He  came  on  a  fair  May  morning  and  asked  the  moth- 
er's permission  to  take  her  and  Esther  Anderson,  a  young 
girl  living  at  the  next  farm,  to  attend  the  May  festival. 
After  attending  the  festival  he  took  them  home  and  went 
his  way.  A  romance  was  then  begun  that  was  never  to 
end.     Two  souls  attuned  to  the  same  measure  had  met. 

The  next  time  she  saw  him— a  month  later— she  heard 
his  voiee  behind  her  saying,  "Little  girl,  do  not  look  around 
until  I  tell  you  something." 

"Why?''  she  asked.  "I  know  who  you  are,  without 
looking  around." 

"Don't  look  around  yet,  I  have  just  been  shot  and  I 
don't  want  you  to  see  me  covered  with  blood." 

It  is  a  curious  law  of  spirit  that  in  resuming  its  rela- 
tion to  matter  it  must  take  on  these  last  physical  condi- 
tions; and,  that  the  spirit  returns  with  the  sensations  and 
desires  which  were  uppermost  in  mind  at  the  time  of 
leaving  the  physical  body. 

These  physical  conditions  and  desires  persist  until  cor- 
rected by  experience  in  spirit  life— until  this  seeming 
reality  becomes  a  memory.  This  is  one  of  the  basic  facts 
upon  which  Mental  and  Christian  Science  healing  is 
founded.  There  is  no  parole  evidence  that  these  laws  are 
operative  outside  of  the  spirit's  relation  to  matter  in  this 
stage  of  existence,  excepting  in  so  far  as  these  desires  are 
the  manifestations  of  character  which  persist  as  dis- 
tinctive qualities  of  the  spirit  until  corrected  or  perfected, 
as  the  case  may  be,  by  the  infinite  laws  of  progression. 

Clarence's  coming  directly  to  the  medium  immediately 
after  his  murder  was  in  accordance  with  the  same  force 
that  first  attracted  him — even  as  we  move  in  this  life, 
other  things  being  equal,  in  the  lines  of  magnetic  attrac- 
tion—lines of  least  resistance. 


78  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

As  soon  as  he  had  become  adjusted  to  his  new  condi- 
tions he  became  one  of  her  constant  attendants,  defenders 
and  protectors  and  has  always  been  such  to  her.  He 
brought  to  her  buoyancy  of  spirit  and  a  character  of 
great  purpose  and  power. 

So  closely  allied  were  they  that  she  delighted  in 
wearing  sailor  hats  and  acting  much  as  he  acted.  Seeing 
this,  and  recognizing  her  needs,  he  sought  his  older  brother 
Jesse,  who  had  preceeded  him  to  spirit  life  by  many  years, 
who  became  her  teacher;  and,  he  also  surrounded  her 
with  other  wise  spirits  of  both  sexes,  many  of  whom  are 
still  with  her,  probably  working  out  their  missions  and 
building  their  own  characters  in  her  life  experiences.  The 
Indian  control  "Kaolah"  was  already  with  her.  Where 
tha  controls  do  not  keep  pace  in  progress  with  the  medium 
they  are  changed  and  others  substituted  by  the  chief 
control. 

Kaolah  was  a  chief  of  the  Oneidas  and  a  medicine  man 
and  consequently  a  medium  for  his  tribe — one  of  the  Iro- 
quois confederacy.  He  had  a  pathetic  history,  which  seems 
to  be  the  case  with  all  true  pioneers  in  intellectual  pro- 
gress. He  tells  how  he  was  wont  to  retire  to  his  tent 
and  prepare  his  medicines — as  he  supposed — doing  it  him- 
self. Now  he  knows  that  he  was  assisted  by  spirits  using 
him  as  an  instrument.  With  the  assistance  of  those 
wise  chemists  he  was  destined  to  play  an  important  part 
in  the  marvelous  cures  the  medium  was  to  perform  later 
in  life.  He  has  attended  her  continuously  from  earliest 
childhood,  excepting  for  a  few  years  as  hereafter  related. 

Dr.  Peter  DeHaven,  formerly  a  resident  of  New 
York,  a  scientist  and  a  very  successful  physician,  also 
comes  to  the  medium  in  cases  of  great  importance.  At 
times  he  calls  to  his  assistance  other  wise  and  scientific 
counsel. 

Leotah,  or  Snow  Drop,  a  French-Indian  girl  came  a 
few  years  later,  as  a  mere  child  who  could  speak  only 
one  or  two  words.  She  is  to-day,  a  highly  accomplished, 
mannerly  young  lady,  using  the  most  exquisite  and  ap- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  79 

propriate  language.  These  are  the  Medium's  working 
band.  Other  and  powerful  spirits  were  added  to  her  band 
as  her  field  of  labor  enlarged  and  their  services  became 

m ssary-  seemingly   a  specialist   in   each  department  of 

usefulness  and  in  all  lines  of  work.  After  her  work  in 
St.  Louis,  a  lawyer.  Valleur  Dupree.  known  as  "Val.," 
a  Spaniard  and  a  Catholic  in  this  life,  was  added  to  her 
band.  He  was  shot  at  the  termination  of  one  of  his  law 
cases,  at  Marysville.  Mo.  Many  St.  Louis  people  remem- 
bered him.  He  was  well  known  to  Major  Mellon,  so  well 
and  favorably  known  to  St.  Louis  people.  There  seemed 
do  limit  to  his  power  as  a  spirit.  Tie  was  devoted  to  the 
medium  and  never  let  an  injury  to  her  go  unpunished 
and  never  failed  to  reward  a  kindness  done  her,  as  many 
can  testify. 

Later  a  miner,  named  John  Gray,  came  to  her  assist- 
ance, and  Richard  Le  Rongee,  George  "Wilson  and  others 
were  added.  Back  of  these  workers  were  wise  ones, 
ethical  teachers,  advanced  scientists.  Oriental  Seers,  Mas- 
ters: and.  over  all  others,  directing  her  destiny,  some- 
times  shadowing  upon  her  the  spirit  of  prophecy  and  divin- 
ation, opening  the  mysteries  of  the  earth  and  the  Heavens, 
ami  the  marvelous  things  yet  to  be  given  to  the  race  is 
the  unknown,  to  whose  wisdom  all  the  other  controls  ever 
bowed.  He  comes  to  her  through  his  emissaries — his  spirit 
mediums.  Sometimes  in  the  quiet  of  the  night,  when  in 
need  of  information,  she  can  go  to  him.  In  these  sleep- 
in  Lr  visits  to  his  "Mansion  of  Light"  she  always  addressed 
him  as  "Master." 

These  various  controls  are  mentioned  here  as  they 
will    play   important  parts   in   the  incidents  to  follow. 

When  holding  a  seance  at  Mr.  Richard's  in  Keokuk, 
Iowa,  the  bay  window  in  the  second  story  had  been  cur- 
tained off  for  a  cabinet.  The  medium  had  been  in  the 
cabinet  and  arranged  the  curtains  to  exclude  all  light  and 
had  gone  into  an  adjoining  room,  leaving  Mr.  Richardson, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rose,  a  prominent  doctor  of  the  place,  a 
State  Senator  and   Hon.  Daniel  Miller  in  the  room. 


80  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

While  waiting  for  the  medium  to  return,  and,  as  they 
were  discussing  the  possibilities  of  any  spirits  showing 
themselves,  the  curtain  in  front  of  the  cabinet  parted 
and  the  materialized  form  of  Mr.  Richardson's  son,  who 
had  been  dead  only  a  short  time,  stood  just  within  the 
cabinet,  full  formed,  dressed'  as  in  ordinary  life.  He 
greeted  his  father  and  the  others  and  told  them  he  did 
not  need  the  presence  of  the  medium  as  she  had  been  in 
the  cabinet  long  enough  to  enable  him  to  thus  present 
himself.  This  he  thought  would  be  demonstration  suf- 
ficient to  convince  them  of  his  reality,  there  being  no  pos- 
sible circumstance  or  condition  upon  which  to  base  any 
other  conclusion. 

BRINGS  NEEDLE  WORK  PROM  A  DISTANCE. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kingsley  from  Ohio,  were  present  at 
this  cabinet  seance.  Mrs.  Kingsley  had  some  fancy  needle 
work  which  she  had  left  at  home.  This,  she  avers,  was 
handed  to  her  from  the  cabinet,  with  the  needle  sticking 
in  it  just  as  she  had  left  it  at  home  in  Xenia,  Ohio.  Of 
this  fact  she  was  very  positive.  Instances  of  this  kind, 
while  rare,  are  too  well  authenticated  to  be  disputed.  In 
many  of  these  cases,  in  the  experience  of  this  medium, 
but  not  in  all  cases,  a  window  or  some  opening  in  the  room 
was  left  open. 

While  living  near  Warsaw,  holding  seances,  many 
soldiers  at  home  on  leave  of  absence,  hearing  of  Mrs.  Dean's 
and  the  minister's  experience  at  the  time  of  the  Methodist 
revival,  came  in  wagon  loads  and  begged  to  see  the  strange 
girl  who  could  tell  them  of  their  dead  and  their  return 
to  earth.  They  wanted  to  see  the  girl  who  could  read 
their  past  life  and  tell  them  of  the  future. 

A  RING  BROUGHT  FROM  THE  GRAVE. 

On  one  occasion  a  man  came  for  the  express  purpose 
of  mischief.  He  said  it  was  all  a  fraud.  Maud  met  him 
and  looked  steadily  into  his  face  for  a  moment.    The  others 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  81 

all  knew  something  was  coming.  Finally,  with  a  quick, 
gasping  noise,  she  jumped  forward,  reached  for  his  hands, 
and  gave  him  a  sign  known  only  i<>  Masons,  and  in  a  strong, 
clear,  masculine  voice  told  him  everything  he  had  said  on 

the  road ;  what  he  had  told  the  boys,  and  repeated  ver- 
batim his  jeers  and  contempt  for  the  subject.  She  ended 
by  saying,  "Now,  John  Bronson,  if  you  wish  to  conform 
to  the  rules  of  this  meeting  you  can  come  in,  and  wel- 
come, but,  if  not,  you  cannot  attend."  The  Captain  ad- 
mitted that  his  doubts  had  been  utterly  vanquished  and 
that  he  would  be  only  too  glad  to  attend  and  learn  more 
facts. 

Thus  was  arranged  one  of  the  most  surprising  ma- 
terializing seances  that  the  medium  had  held,  up  to  that 
date.  During  the  seance  this  same  penitent  and  contrite 
skeptic  was  called  to  the  cabinet  by  the  spirit  of  a  young 
lady.  "When  he  approached  she  eagerly  reached  forth 
her  hand  and  took  his.  saying— "My  brother."  He  recog- 
nized her  face,  and  in  his  excitement  almost  screamed  to 
her  to  give  her  name.     She  spoke  distinctly,  "Ella." 

"My  God!  my  God!  It's  my  sister,"  said  the  no.v 
thoroughly  convinced  skeptic.  He  almost  fainted,  ami 
was  led  back  to  his  seat  by  his  smiling  and  thoroughly 
triumphant  companions,  to  whom  he  had  only  a  few  hours 
before  ridiculed  spirit  return. 

The  influences  were  not  yet  through  with  him.  His 
sister  who  had  been  buried  only  a  short  time,  came  again 
with  messages  for  those  in  her  far  away  home  in  the 
East.  A  thought  of  further  identification  struck  him, 
and  he  said,  "Ella,  what  did  I  give  you  when  I  came 
home  on  a  furlough?" 

"A  ring  Bet  with  ruby  and  pearls,"  she  replied. 

"Y<  he  replied,  "where  was  it  left  when  you 

were  buried?"  "On  my  finger"  said  she,  putting  the 
hand  out  and  plainly  showing  the  ring  to  all  present.  He 
recognized  it  at  once.  He  then  asked  for  the  wedding 
ring  that  had  ;ils<>  been  buried  with  her. 

She   had   married   a   comrade   of   his   company,    and 


82  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

when  she  died,  was  buried  at  Keokuk,  Iowa.  This  ring, 
he  said,  was  left  with  her  wedding  ring  upon  her  hand. 

She  seemed  a  little  puzzled,  disappeared  for  a  few 
seconds,  came  back,  recalled  him,  and  reaching  out  her 
hand,  put  the  ring  he  had  given  her  upon  his  hand  and 
said,  "Keep  it,  but  show  it  to  Charley."  Charley  was  the 
name  of  her  husband,  and  Charley's  name  had  not  been 
called  by  any  of  the  party. 

There  are  many  people  to-day  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  who 
will  remember  this  young  Captain  Bronson.  He  attended 
to  show  others  of  his  company  who  had  been  present  sev- 
eral times  their,  folly.  On  the  way  to  the  seance  he  had 
scoffed  and  sneered  at  his  companions  for  believing  any- 
thing so  utterly  ridiculous. 

After  this  strange  experience,  the  Captain,  still  in 
possession  of  his  sister's  ring,  declared  he  would  not  rest 
until  his  sister's  coffin  was  opened  that  he  might  know 
this  was  no  delusion.  He,  with  several  of  those  present, 
went  to  the  grave,  where,  with  the  sexton,  they  opened 
the  coffin  and  examined  the  hand  that  had  worn  the  ring. 
When  the  coffin  was  opened,  he  said,  "Boys,  look  first 
and  tell  me."  The  hands  wore  no  gloves,  and  strange, 
but  true,  the  ring  was  gone!  The  dead,  white  hand,  they 
said,  bore  the  impress  of  the  missing  ring.  The  indenta- 
tion was  there.  The  ring  was  taken  from  the  soldier 
brother  and  slipped  upon  the  finger  for  the  second  time. 

This  incident  created  a  great  stir  and  induced  large 
numbers  of  thinking  people  to  investigate  her  medium- 
ship.  Among  the  number  was  Hon.  Daniel  Miller,  Chief 
Justice,  of  Keokuk,  Iowa,  who  ever  after  proved  himself 
her  staunch  friend.  For  some  weeks  she  gave  her  entire 
attention  to  the  description  of  spirits  and  to  the  dissem- 
inating of  spiritual  truths.  Her  wardrobe  by  this  time 
was  depleted,  and  warned  her  that  necessity  would  compel 
her  to  work  again.  This  she  proceeded  immediately  to  do, 
as  she  did  not  receive  any  compensation  for  her  seances 
or  services  in  healing  the  sick. 

She  had  been  for  some  time  especially  gifted  with  the 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  83 

art  of  healing  diseases  which  learned  physicians  pro- 
nounced incurable.  No  one  had  remembered  to  give  her 
a  penny  for  her  time,  her  lost  strength,  or  her  beautiful 
gift,  and  she  was  obliged  to  return  to  work.  She  went 
again  to  Warsaw,  to  .Mrs.  Richard  McDougal,  a  most 
lovely  woman,  who  took  great  interest  in  her  medium- 
ship  and  gave  audiences  to  her  spirit  controls,  often  re- 
ceiving  most    remarkable   manifestations. 

While  living  with  this  family  a  German  lady  called 
to  see  the  girl  medium.  Mrs.  McDougal  called  her  and 
asked  her  if  she  could  see  anything  for  her  neighbor.  She 
at  once  became  entranced,  and  the  German  lady  was 
told  that  her  father  was  dead — had  died  the  day  before. 
She  gave  his  name,  age  and  cause  of  death.  This  fright- 
ened the  woman  seriously.  In  a  few  days  all  was  verified. 
The  German  lady  received  a  letter  containing  the  news 
of  her  father's  death  just  as  described. 

MEETS  AND  VANQUISHES  AN  EXPOSER  OF  SPIRITUALISM. 

She  was  not  destined  to  remain  long  at  manual  labor. 
A  message  came  for  her  to  return  home  immediately.  Her 
fame  had  reached  Greenbush,  111.,  and  Dr.  Butler  and  Mr. 
James,  mayor  of  that  city,  had  sent  for  her  to  make  them 
a  visit  of  a  week  or  two. 

"When  she  arrived  in  Greenbush,  where  an  exposer 
of  spiritualism  had  billed  the  town,  she  was  told  that  her 
name  was  among  the  number  to  be  exposed.  A  sum  of 
five  hundred  dollars  was  to  be  forfeited  by  this  exposer 
if  he  could  not  do  everything  claimed  to  be  done  by  so- 
called  mediums. 

Here  again  her  guides  had  opened  the  way  to  vic- 
tory. She  arrived  at  the  home  of  Mr.  James,  whom  she 
had  met  before,  and  was  kindly  received  by  his  family. 
She  was  told  that  they  did  not  want  anyone  to  know  she 
was  there.  They  had  intimated  to  a  few  that  they  would 
send  for  her,  but  they  did  not  want  this  exposer,  S.  P. 
Leland,  to  know  she  was  in  the  place. 

The  minister  and  the  good  religious  people  had  given 


84  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

him  the  use  of  their  church  for  his  holy  ( ?)  work  of 
exposure. 

The  entertainment  was  held  that  night.  They  told 
her  not  to  mind  what  was  said,  but  to  sit  still  and  listen 
to  him,  and  they  would  right  any  wrong.  They  went 
early  and  occupied  front  seats.  The  medium  sat  with 
Mr.  James  and  Dr.  Butler,  a  well  and  favorably  known 
physician  of  the  place,  a  man  of  money,  standing  and 
intellect,  whose  position  was  respected,  as  was  that  of 
.the  Hon.  Mr.  James  and  his  charming  family.  They  were 
strong  in  their  convictions  of  right  and  maintained  their 
position  without  fear  or  favor.  The  braggadocio  arose 
and  began  in  the  most-  denunciatory  language  to  abuse  all 
mediums  and  nearly  all  spiritualists.  He  was  the  one 
who  had  given  them  all  their  reputation  and  position  in 
the  world.  He  had  educated  them  all  in  their  tricks,  never 
dreaming  that  they  would  call  it  supernatural  force,  or 
spiritual  power.  He  had  written  all  of  Mrs.  C.  V.  Tapping's 
lectures,  and  Mrs.  H.  Britton's  as  well— in  fact,  every 
exponent  of  the  spiritual  philosophy  owed  to  him  their 
fame  and  greatness. 

After  the  tirade  against  the  spiritual  speakers  came 
the  physical  mediums.  He  stopped  suddenly,  as  if  nearly 
forgetting  something,  and  said:  "By  the  way,  I  hear 
that  you  are  going  to  have  Miss  Jennie  Barrock,  of  the 
southern  part  of  the  State  here.  I  think  if  you  say  to 
that  young  lady  that  S.  P.  Leland  is  here,  she  will  fly  in 
an  opposite  direction." 

Good,  honest,  clear  headed  Dr.  Butler  arose  and  said: 
"Will  Mr.  Leland  say  why  this  is  so?" 

"Oh,"  said  he,  "she  is  one  of  my  pupils."  He  stated 
that  he  had  taught  her  how  to  do  his  sleight  of  hand 
tricks,  never  dreaming  she  would  palm  them  off  as  Spir- 
itual manifestations. 

Mayor  James  then  arose  and  said :  ' '  How  old  is  this 
girl?" 

Thinking  for  a  moment,  he  said:  "About  25,  pos- 
sibly 23,  but  she  is  past  20." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  85 

There  sat  the  much  abused  medium  perfectly  ablaze 
with  just  indignation.  The  friends  with  her  asked  her 
if  she  was  sure  she  had  never  seen  him.  The  answer  was: 
"Yes.  I  am  sure  I  never  saw  him— introduce  me  and  see 
if  he  knows  me."  This  plan  was  adopted.  There  was  to 
be  a  committee  appointed  to  pass  upon  his  claims  as  an 
exposer. 

During  the  selecting  of  this  committee,  Dr.  Butler 
took  the  girl,  scarcely  in  long  dresses  and  not  yet  fourteen 
years  old.  and  walked  up  to  the  professor,  as  he  chose  to 
call  himself.  The  girl  approached  him.  saying:  "How 
do  you  do,  Mr.  Leland?"  He  looked  puzzled  and  said: 
"I  don't  seem  to  recall  your  face;  where  have  I  met  you 
before?"  She  said,  "take  a  good  look."  He  did  look,  and 
in  the  presence  of  the  doctor  and  Mr.  James,  said,  "I  can- 
not place  you." 

"No,  I  thought  not,"  said  Dr.  Butler.  The  doctor 
then  stepped  upon  the  platform  and  said,  "Ladies  and 
gentlemen:  This  is  ^Iiss  Barrock  that  this  villain  has  so 
maligned  and  talked  about;  look  and  see  for  yourself;  not 
yet  fourteen  years  old.  with  a  clean  record— an  humble 
one,  but  clean."  Imagine  the  intense  excitement  prevail- 
ing in  that  church.  The  good  and  kind  old  minister,  the 
one  who  preached  there  on  the  Sabbath  days,  was  in  the 
pulpit  with  this  S.  P.  Leland.  "When  this  was  said,  he 
arose,  and  in  kindly  voice,  reprimanded  the  mountebank 
who  sought  to  rob  a  young  girl  of  her  good  name. 

The  meeting  ended  in  no  satisfactory  manner  to  the 
professor,  who  still  boasted  that  he  could  duplicate  all  of 
the  so-called  spiritual  manifestations. 
,  The  challenge  was  accepted  by  Maud's  friends.  The 
time  was  set.  preparations  made,  the  seance,  or  cabinet  to 
be  held  at  Dr.  Butler's.  There  was  a  committee  of  a  dozen 
or  more  ladies  and  gentlemen,— skeptics  mostly,— only  two 
spiritualists— if  Dr.  Butler  and  Mr.  James  could  be  called 
such.  They  met  and  placed  the  medium  under  strictly 
test  conditions. 

First  they  prepared  a  long  rope  or  cord  by  wetting 


86  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

and  making  it  still  softer,  and  passing  it  at  the  last  moment 
over  a  wet  sponge  to  make  it  beyond  slipping  or  untying. 
They  then  tied  her  in  a  chair,  and  her  hands  and  feet  as 
well.  The  cabinet  was  made  as  usual,  using  a  door  lead- 
ing into  a  small  empty  room.  The  committee  lifted  her 
into  the  darkened  room,  as  this  seance  was  held  in  day 
time.  Binding  her  eyes  with  a  large  handkerchief,  they 
placed  her  in  the  farther  corner  of  the  room.  They  all 
unanimously  decided  that  she  was  so  tightly  tied  she  could 
not  move.  As  a  last  test  condition  they  put  a  teaspoonful 
of  flour  in  each  of  her  hands.  They  took  seats  and  waited 
in  the  partially  darkened  room  for  what  might  come. 

Hands  were  immediately  thrust  through  the  parting 
in  the  center  of  the  curtain.  One  hand,  then  two,  then 
three  and  so  on  until  there  seemed  too  many  to  count. 
They  were,  so  they  said,  of  dazzling  whiteness,  some  with 
sleeves  white  as  snow.  Several  faces  appeared.  One  full 
form  appeared,  that  of  a  man  with  dark,  curly  hair,  dark 
moustache,  with  white  shirt  and  cuffs  unlike  any  of  the 
people  present.  The  seance  was  not  as  good  as  many  had 
been  before,  but  was  quite  sufficient  to  show  the  most 
skeptical  and  those  unreasonably  bitter  against  it  that 
there  was  some  intelligence,  some  agency  outside  of  all 
human  power  to  accomplish  these  things.  When  the  com- 
mittee entered  the  seance  room  they  found  the  medium 
tied  as  they  had  left  her,  with  the  flour  firmly  grasped 
in  the  fast  swelling  hands.  She  was  still  blindfolded  and 
tied. 

What,  oh  what  could  it  be?  These  white  robes,  fair 
fluttering  hands?  What  other  solution  could  be  given t 
The  medium  had  been  thoroughly  searched,  all  her  gar- 
ments examined  and  nothing  white  left  her,  not  even  a 
handkerchief.  No  white  article  of  wearing  apparel  was 
to  be  found  in  the  well  searched  room,  yet  there  was  this 
man  with  dark,  curling  hair,  dark  moustache— a  manly 
looking  fellow,  with  white  shirt  front  and  cuffs.  Where 
could  he  come  from?  Thus  pondered  the  much  puzzled 
investigators. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  87 

Would  these  hands  they  had  seen  untie  these  hard 
knots?  Skeptically  they  all  answered,  "No!"  "Impos- 
sible!" They  left  the  seance  room  and  stood  outside  the 
curtain.  What  was  the  noise  they  heard?  They  could 
hear  the  rope  untying  in  the  most  amazing  way;  knot 
after  knot  came  out  with  a  swish.  The  committee  listened; 
some  smiled,  and  others  looked  what  they  felt,— a  little 
frightened.  At  last  the  medium's  voice  called  them  to  come 
in.  saying,  "I  guess  I  am  untied." 
••All  untied  .'"  they  asked. 
"Yes,  I  think  so." 

They  let  the  light  into  the  room  and  minutely  ex- 
amined her.  She  was  untied,  but  still  blindfolded,  and 
held  in  her  hand  the  flour  into  which,  unknown  to  her, 
had  been  placed  a  certain  number  of  shot.  In  each  hand 
was  found  the  number  of  shot  placed  there  by  the  com- 
mittee. One  of  the  committee  was  a  devout  church  mem- 
ber and  believed  spiritualism  was  a  degrading  delusion— 
a  wretched  devil-sent  "ism,"  and  he  wanted  to  stamp  it 
out.  even  though  it  be  true,  so  great  was  his  antagonism. 
They  had  rubbed  indigo  on  the  rope  and  the  doctor 
said,  "Look  here,  there  is  no  indigo  on  the  medium's 
fingers,  only  a  dash  across  the  back  of  one  swollen  hand." 
Next  in  oi-.lcr.  on  their  program,  was  to  repeat  the 
experiments  with  S.  P.  Leland.  They  proceeded  to  his 
hotel.  He  had  chosen  his  own  conditions.  They  took  a 
similar  rope,  but  they  did  not  put  it  through  wet  sponges, 
or  work-  it  soft.  They  did  not  search  him  or  put  him 
through  the  ordeal  that  took  almost  an  hour  for  the 
girl-medium.  They  tied  him  and  put  him  in  a  room, 
not  blindfolded,  not  darkened,  and  not  examined.  All 
possible  chance  was  given  him. 

After  a  Long  time  he  got  out  of  the  rope.  \o  hands 
were  shown,  no  faces  appeared,  no  voices  whispered 
names,  or  dates  of  deaths,  telling  who  and  what  they  were. 
He  simply  got  out  of  the  rope.  When  he  was  examined 
the  rope  was  found  cut  into  pieces  in  his  coat  pocket. 
Even    tin1   prejudiced    committee  said.   "You    have   not   ac- 


88  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

complished  with  all  your  years  of  experience  half  what 
the  girl  did.  We  shall  have  to  pronounce  in  her  favor," 
and  they  did. 

Next  morning  he  had  left  Greenbush  without  paying 
the  forfeit  of  $500  or  his  board  bill.  Thus  ended  the  first 
battle  with  one  of  the  would-be  exposers  of  spiritualism. 

It  was  always  a  pleasure  to  her  to  recur  in  memory 
to  the  pleasant  friendships  formed  in  that  village.  Mr. 
James  accompanied  her  home  and  told  her  father  she  had 
won  the  battle  and  come  home  with  victory  crowning  her 
efforts.  She  had  begun  to  understand  the  grand  import- 
ance of  her  gift,  although  she  still  met  many  people  who 
told  her  how  awful  she  was — that  she  was  a  witch,  and 
some  good  Christian  should  put  her  to  death,  if  they  did 
their  duty  toward  God  and  man. 

WITNESSES   A    SPIRIT  *S   DEPARTURE    PROM    THE   BODY. 

A  family  by  the  name  of  Peebles,  living  near  Hamil- 
ton, 111.,  often  invited  her  to  their  home  and  to  their  relig- 
ious meetings.  The  eldest  daughter  of  this  family,  Mrs. 
DeWolf,  was  sick  unto  death.  The  medium  was  helping 
them  in  their  work  and  doing  all  she  could  to  lift  their 
burden,  not  only  of  work,  but  of  sorrow.  At  last  the  truth 
could  not  be  disguised.  A  spirit  told  the  medium  the 
daughter  would  pass  over  very  soon.  She  had  given  birth 
to  a  lovely  little  boy  babe  and  the  penalty  was  the  sweet 
mother's  life.  A  voice  said,  "Go,  watch  beside  her  bed, 
and  you  will  see  a  spirit  take  its  upward  flight  from  its 
body  of   clay." 

The  medium  said,  ' '  So  soon  ? ' '    The  answer  was  ' '  Yes. ' ' 

The  mother,  sisters  and  husband  were  told  of  the 
approaching  change;  and  as  they  gathered  for  the  last 
time  around  the  bedside  of  their  beloved  Edith,  they  saw 
that  the  Death  Angel  was  near. 

The  medium  saw  a  beautiful  substance,  light  and  radi- 
ant, not  pure  white  but  golden  and  silvery  in  appearance 
slowly  and  silently  rising  from  the  head  and  body  lying 
on  the  bed.     This  substance  gradually  extended  upwards. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  89 

It  lengthened  and  expanded  until  it  assumed  the  shape 
of  a  person.  It  still  remained  connected  with,  and  seemed 
to  cover  the  entire  head.  In  the  center  of  this  connecting 
substance  was  a  whiter,  thicker  substance,  like  a  bright, 
silver  ray,  or  cord  extending  to  the  brain.  This  grew 
longer  and  fainter  as  it  extended  upward.  She  then  saw 
what  appeared  to  be  the  weaving  of  immortal  garments. 
As  this  ceased  the  connecting  substance  faded  out  and 
the  startled  eves  of  the  medium  beheld  the  form  of  the 
lovely  woman  on  the  bed  standing  just  above  her,  with  her 
beautiful  dark  eyes  looking  ever  so  wistfully  into  the 
beloved  husband's  tear- wet  face. 

Looking  toward  the  body  she  saw  that  the  magical 
breath  of  life  had  left  it.  There  stood  the  spirit,  clothed 
in  her  immortal  garments,  in  a  glory  of  golden  light,  like 
the  mystic  sheen  on  the  sea  at  night.  About  her  was  a 
radiant,  welcoming  host  whom  she  seemed  to  recognize 
and  greet. 

Thus  passed  the  sweet,  prayerful  spirit  of  one  dear 
sister,  whose  faithful  duties  brought  her  great  consola- 
tion and  joy,  and  clothed  her  with  garments  which  seemed 
like  a  silver  mist — a  halo  of  glorious  light,  laden  with  a 
perfume  perceptible  to  the  medium  and  to  others  in  the 
room. 

A    STRANGE    REQUEST. 

While  holding  a  seance  near  Carthage,  111.,  one  of 
the  living  rooms  was  used  for  the  cabinet.  The  people 
were1  seated  in  the  sitting  room.  A  curtain,  consisting  of 
a  coat  and  blankets,  was  tacked  in  the  usual  manner  in 
the  door  way.  The  house  was  old  and  not  in  the  best  state 
of  repair,  and  was  infested  with  rats.  Tt  was  at  this 
seance  that  Mr.  Mark  Phelps  first  became  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  spirit  return. 

Daring  the  evening,  the  noise  of  rats  was  heard, 
apparently  about  the  old  unused  fireplace.  This  some- 
what frightened  the  medium  and  caused  one  of  the  sit- 
ters—a  young  man— to  remark.  "What  a  fine  test  it  would 


90  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

be  if  those  spirit  hands  would  catch  one  of  those  rats  and 
throw  it  out." 

In  a  very  short  time  they  heard  a  rat  squeal  and  the 
curtain  parted.  A  hand  was  extended,  holding  a  large, 
old  rat  by  the  back  of  the  neck  and  the  next  instant  it 
was  hurled,  squealing  into  the  young  man's  face.  This 
convinced  one  young  man  that  it  was  not  the  work  of  the 
medium. 

Necessity  supplied  the  incentive  for  her  to  seek  other 
and  broader  fields.  A  brother  had  found  employment  at 
Quincy,  Illinois,  and  at  his  solicitation  she  visited  that 
place.  Later  on  the  family  moved  to  Quincy.  Her  fame 
had  preceded  her,  and,  as  at  other  places,  her  time  was 
almost  entirely  taken  up  with  gratuitous  work  of 
holding  seances  and  giving  descriptions.  No  one  seemed 
to 'remember  that  she  had  to  meet  life's  necessities.  They 
took  her  time  and  scarcely  ever  thanked  her  for  services. 

At  last  she  must  do  something.  Mr.  McDaniels,  who 
kept  a  museum  of  fine  arts,  engaged  her,  through  her 
brother,  who  was  employed  by  him  as  attendant  at  the 
door.  There  was  but  one  hope  of  getting  another  ward- 
robe, and  that  was  to  work  for  it.  The  proprietor  offered 
her  twenty-five  dollars  a  week  and  said  he  would  not  give 
the  manifestation  any  name.  Let  the  people  name  the 
phenomena  what  they  pleased  and  said  she  need  not  use 
her  own  name.  Possibly  many  may  remember  what  a 
furore  she  created  at  that  time  in  her  wonderful  cabinet 
seances,  showing  hands,  faces  and  forms. 

HOW   SOME   PEOPLE   LEARN. 

While  engaged  giving  these  exhibitions  she  boarded 
and  roomed  at  the  hotel  where  her  brother  boarded.  Here 
she  was  subjected  to  many  annoying  attentions  by  unprin- 
cipled men.  On  one  occasion  as  she  was  going  to  her  room 
and  had  just  reached  the  landing  at  the  head  of  the  stairs, 
an  arm  was  slipped  around  her  waist,  as  she  supposed  by 
her  brother  who  had  preceded  her,  and  a  low  voice  said: 
' '  Come  this  way. ' ' 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  91 

Quick  as  a  Hash,  from  out  of  the  darkness— out  of 
space— came  an  invisible  hand  that  dealt  a  quick,  stun- 
ning blow  that  sent  a  young  man  headlong  down  the 
stairs.  He  did  not  stop  until  he  reached  the  hall  below  in 
a  dazed  condition.  He  proved  to  be  a  boarder  at  the 
hotel  and  who  had  been  very  persistent  in  his  annoying 
attentions.  He  was  completely  cured  by  the  blow.  She 
was  never  troubled  again.  Such  people  have  no  desire 
to  have  lightning  strike  them  twice.  He  had  no  difficulty 
in  comprehending  the  full  meaning  of  this  lesson  that 
came  to  him  through  his  physical  senses. 

On  one  occasion,  the  mayor  of  the  city  brought  with 
him  a  pair  of  handcuffs  and  fastened  them  tightly  upon 
her  wrists,  and  putting  the  key  in  his  pocket,  said:  "My 
young  witch,  I  have  you  now."  As  she  turned  around  to 
enter  the  cabinet  there  was  a  snap,  snap,  and  the  hand- 
cuffs were  thrown  with  a  dash  outward,  hitting  the  pro- 
prietor upon  the  head,  making  a  serious  scalp  wound. 

The  mayor  and  some  soldiers  standing  and  sitting 
around  were  somewhat  frightened,  when  one  of  the  soldien 
laughed  and  said,  "I  believe  she  is  the  devil  done  up 
pretty." 

"I  have  the  key,  let  me  have  the  lockers."  said  the 
mayor.  They  were  examined  and  found  all  right— un- 
locked ns  with  a  key. 

Among  those  who  witnessed  this  exhibition  and  knew 
tin-  origin  of  the  power,  \v;is  Mr.  A.  H.  Williams,  and  a 
good  old  Scotchman  named  Brown.  Everybody  in  Quincy 
called  him  "Baker  Brown."  These  two  men  were  spirit- 
ualists and  knew  such  superior  mediumship  should  not  be 
misapplied,  misused  and  misnamed.  The  medium  felt  that 
it  was  too  sacred  to  be  trampled  under  the  feet  of  idle 
curiosity  seekers.  These  two  men  appealed  to  her  to  Leave. 
She  answered  saying  she  would  not  have  accepted  the  posi- 
tion, but  she  had  no  money,  no  clothes,  and  her  parents 
were  too  poor  to  keep  her  dressed  while  she  disseminated 
the  truths  of  immortal   life;  that  her  life  there  with  her 


92  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

brother's  care,  was  just  as  clean  and  pure  as  it  could  be 
at  home. 

The  spiritualists  conferred  together  and  thought  best 
to  pay  her  for  her  services  that  she  might  give  it  her  best 
attention. 

This  she  concluded  to  do.  A  small  hall  in  Hampshire 
street  was  engaged  and  the  first  Sunday  evening  spiritual 
meeting  in  that  part  of  the  state  was  commenced.  From 
this  time  on  she  never  faltered  in  the  work  set  for  her  to 
do.  Her  parents  had  at  this  time  disposed  of  their  little 
farm  and  moved  to  Quincy. 

People  came  in  great*  numbers  to  see  her  but  very 
few  remembered  to  pay  and  she,  sensitive  and  shrinking, 
could  not  ask  for  her  dues. 

Thus  one  weary  month  passed  after  another.  Her 
heart  had  grown  most  sad  until  she  prayed  to  die.  The 
better  class  of  people  in  Quincy  seemed  to  desire  her 
seances,  though  they  would  in  some  instances  request  her 
to  come  to  their  homes  after  dark  and  come  in  the  back 
way.  When  the  seance  was  over  they  would  request  her 
to  go  out  through  the  alley  way  and  alone,  without  com- 
pany to  protect  her  from  the  insults  of  rude  men  and  boys. 
She  sometimes  reached  her  home  after  the  seances  drenched 
with  rain,  tired,  worn   and  utterly  forlorn. 

The  people  of  wealth  and  position  thus  used  her  as 
they  would  have  used  a  slave.  Their  husbands,  brothers 
and  sons  were  too  good  to  go  home  with  this  one  so  loved 
and  honored  by  the  celestial  hosts.  They  seldom  said 
"We  thank  you,"  and  never  paid  a  cent  or  asked  if  she 
needed  food  to  eat,  or  water  to  drink.  Some  of  these 
Christian  ( ?)  people  often  said  to  her,  "If  you  should  meet 
us  on  the  street  and  we  should  not  speak,  pray  don't  think 
we  are  angry;  it's  only  our  position.  We  believe  all  this 
is  what  it  claims  to  be,  and  that  you  are  a  good  medium, 
but  it  won't  do  for  us  to  know  you  or  acknowledge  it." 

Thus,  abashed  and  abused,  she  could  full  often,  when 
the  cup  was  full  of  bitterness,  have  prayed  to  die.  The 
seances  were  beautiful  as  she  grew  more  implicitly  faithful 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  93 

to  her  guides,  while  thus  under  the  ban  of  society,  the 
ostracism  of  the  ignorant  and  creed  bound.  These  indif- 
ferent people  loved  their  popularity  better  than  their  God. 

Several  ministers  had  made  her  the  subject  of  ser- 
mons calling  her  a  witch  and  her  followers  evil.  One,  Rev. 
( ?)  Minting,  of  Quincy  111.,  was  mean  enough  to  spit  upon 
her  in  the  street  when  she  was  pointed  out  by  a  lady  who 
had  secretly  attended  her  seance  held  at  one  of  these  aris- 
tocratic houses.  Passing  close  to  her  he  spat  at  and  upon 
her,  saying.  "Go  thou  child  to  the  devil." 

Mortified,  humiliated  by  conditions  and  circumstances 
over  which  she  had  no  control,  again  and  again  she  would 
wander  down  by  the  old  Mississippi  river  and  longingly 
wish  for  rest,  yet  she  dare  not  forget  what  the  angels  had 
told  her.  Would  fate  ever  release  her  from  bondage, 
strong  as  steel? 

At  this  time  her  healing  power,  as  well  as  clairvoy- 
ant! clairaudience,  was  brought  into  great  use  for  the 
sick  and  ailing. 

The  first  case  of  note  to  which  she  was  called  was  to 
the  sick  wife  of  Dr.  Burgess,  a  specialist,  but  not  a  regu- 
lar physician.  His  beloved  wife  was  dying  and  two  attend- 
ant physicians  said  she  could  live  only  a  few  hours. 

ORDERS  PHYSICIANS  AND  THEIR  DKUCS  OUT  OF  THE  ROOM. 

On  arriving  at  the  house  she  found  two  physicians 

present.  She  told  the  husband  she  could  accomplish  noth- 
ing with  the  physicians  in  the  room.  They  looked  unut- 
terable things  and  did  not  hesitate  to  sneer  and  scoff  at  the 
thought  that  anyone  could  cure  where  their  skill  had 
failed.  It  was  too  ridiculous  and  especially  as  the  woman 
was  already  dying.  "Let  her  try  it,"  they  sneered.  "Such 
foolishness,  such  bosh!" 

To  her  it  was  a  labor  of  love.  After  sending  every 
bottle  of  medicine  out  of  the  room  and  opening  the  win- 
dows, she  turned  to  the  apparently  lifeless  woman  on  the 
bed.  An  eminent  spirit,  Dr.  Dt  Haven,  controlled  the 
medium,  treated  the  patient,  prescribed  for  her  and  said  to 
the  sad-hearted  husband,  "Your  wife  will  live." 


94  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Very  soon  after  the  treatment  the  sick  woman  came 
out  of  the  death-like  swoon  from  which  the  two  physicians 
said  she  could  never  recover.  In  a  few  moments  she  asked 
for  something  to  eat.  Her  husband  asked  what  she  would 
have.  "Cabbage  and  potatoes,"  replied  this  delicate 
invalid.     "Oh,  oh,"  the  husband  said. 

The  spirit  physician  controlled  the  medium  and  said, 
"Give  her  all  she  wants;  I  assure  you  no  harm  will 
follow." 

This  event  was  a  marvel  to  the  public  and  even  to  the 
two  reviling  physicians.  One,  less  prejudiced  and  more 
intelligent  than  the  other,  often  employed  her  clairvoy- 
ance in  intricate  and  dangerous  cases.  When  death  seemed 
near  his  patients  he  would  take  her  to  relieve  them.  None 
who  sought  her  aid  in  after  years  were  denied. 

RESTORES   A  PARALYZED   CHILD   TO  PERFECT   HEALTH. 

Next  door  to  the  family  lived  an  honest,  respectable 
Irish  family.  Being  Catholics  they,  of  course,  looked  with 
a  great  deal  of  repulsion  upon  this — as  they  thought — 
devil-possessed  girl.  Their  eldest  daughter,  twelve  year* 
old,  was  a  cripple  and  could  not  walk  a  step,  and  had  not 
for  years.  Her  limbs  were  completely  paralyzed.  The 
little  legs  were  just  like  sticks  with  the  skin  drawn  tight 
and  close  to  the  bone.  Shapeless,  fleshless  little  legs,  with- 
out any  sensation  whatever.  The  little  toes  had  been  badly 
burned  against  the  stove.  She  had  not  discovered  the  fact 
from  any  feeling,  and  did  not  know  it  until  her  eyes  saw  the 
burned  feet.  This  child  was  a  great  care  and  trouble.  She 
required  constant  moving.  Our  medium,  one  day,  said  to 
the  mother  who  had  called,  "Mrs.  Shanahan,  I  can  cure 
Maima."  Oh,  the  dire  hate  that  flashed  into  her  eyes  as 
she  said,  ' '  Don 't  you  dare  touch  her. ' '  Saying  this  she  left 
the  house.  Her  mother  said:  "There  now  you  have 
offended  a  good  neighbor. ' '  Little  Maima 's  angel  guide  was 
not  sleeping,  but  heard  the  words  and  saw  the  necessity  of 
doing  something  to  save  and  succor  the  winsome  little 
cripple. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  95 

When  next  the  medium  saw  the  cripple  she  asked  her 
if  she  would  like  to  be  cured.  "Oh,  yes,"  came  the  eager 
reply.  "Can  you  keep  a  secret,  Maimal  "Yes,  yes,  I 
can."  "Well,  then,  I  will  take  you  oyer  to  our  house 
every  day  when  your  mama  goes  to  market  and  cure  you." 
Her  mother  kept  boarders  and  went  to  market  every  day 
at  nine  o'clock.  Thus  began  a  good  and  holy  work.  The 
first  thing  that  was  done,  by  order  of  the  controlling  phy- 
Bician,  was  to  bathe  her  thoroughly.  Then  she  was  taken 
out  of  the  bath  and  rubbed  gently  at  first.  The  medium 
was  told  to  pray  earnestly  all  the  while.  The  prayer  given 
to  her  was  beautiful  beyond  description  and  seemed  to 
oome  from  someone  standing  to  the  right  of  her  and  over 
her  head.  She  was  then  told  to  place  her  right  hand  upon 
the  child's  spine,  the  left  hand  palm  to  the  bottom  of  the 
teet.  This  she  did,  causing  instant  vibrations  that  grew 
stronger  and  stronger  until  both  medium  and  child  shook 
as  if  by  some  mighty  power  that  had  intruded  to  force 
life  and  vitality  into  the  little  useless  limbs. 

The  desired  effect  was  produced  at  last,  the  child,  cry- 
ing, said:  "I  feel;  I  do,  I  do;  I  feel  something  tingle  and 
burn  all  along  my  legs."  All  this  time  the  medium  knelt 
prayerfully,  now  she  arose  and  made  a  few  passes  up  and 
down  the  limbs  that  seemed  to  be  conscious  of  a  new  life 
tingling  through  them;  then  she  carried  the  little  cripple 
home  and  said.  "Silence,  dear,  and  tell  no  one."  She 
said.  "Oli.  yes.  I  will  not- tell." 

Nexl  day,  when  the  experiment  was  repeated,  the 
child  could  move  her  legs  and  stand  for  a  few  moments  at 
a  time.  She  laughed  so  in  her  joy  she  would  fall  in  spite 
of  the  remonstrance  from  her  new  doctor  not  to  do  so. 
The  medium's  soul  was  so  filled  with  delight  that  she  also 
laughed. 

After  the  third  treatment  she  could  walk  several  steps 
at  a  time  and  would  then  totter  and  fall.  She  was  told  by 
these  wise  and  efficient  controls  to  get  up  and  walk  when 
no  one  was  looking  and  to  keep  up  the  electrical  and  mag- 
netic influence  by  constant  action  when  alone. 


96  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

These  treatments  commenced  Monday  morning  at  nine 
o'clock,  Saturday  the  little  girl's  relatives  were  all 
gathered  in  the  parlor  of  her  home  talking,  when  the 
medium  said :  '  •  Now,  Maima,  get  up  and  walk  through 
the  house." 

Can  you,  readers,  imagine  the  joy  of  her  parents,  and 
relatives  who  were  numerous  and  all  Catholics?  When 
asked,  after  falling  on  their  knees  in  fright  and  thanks- 
giving, who  did  it,  she  answered,  "Maud  cured  me."  Then 
the  medium,  for  all  this  new  joy,  was  called  in  and  thanked 
heartily  and  kindly  by  the  mother. 

The  priest  had  to  be  called  in  and  told  of  the  miracu- 
lous cure  of  his  little  devotee.  He  believed  it  of  the  devil 
and  told  them  to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  it.  He 
sprinkled  holy  water  over  the  child  and  about  the  house, 
repeated  a  litany  and  told  them  to  put  on  the  child's  neck 
a  witch  charm — a  scapular  to  keep  evil  spirits  away. 

Others,  hearing  of  this  marvelous  cure,  brought  in  the 
maimed,  the  lame  and  the  blind.  In  nearly  every  instance 
her  controls  would  cure  them.  As  a  general  thing  these 
cures  were  accomplished  with  three  treatments,  while  some 
were  instantaneous.  At  one  time  a  poor  woman  brought 
her  only  child,  a  little  boy  of  five  years  old,  with  one  leg 
paralyzed  and  useless.  Her  name  was  Mrs.  Ryan  and  she 
was  also  a  Catholic.  The  medium  was  preparing  to  go  out. 
The  woman  came  in  with  the  boy  in  her  arms  and  "asked  to 
see  the  girl  who  healed  the  sick  through  the  evil  one.  She 
was  told  that  the  medium  was  to  leave  in  a  few  moments. 
The  woman  began  to  cry  bitterly  and  said  she  had  come 
such  a  long  distance,  carrying  the  boy  all  the  way  to  have 
her  touch  him. 

The  medium  was  told  the  pitiful  story.  She  went  in 
and  laid  her  hand  only  for  a  moment  on  the  shriveled 
limb.  She  then  touched  the  hip  and  back  only  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  said:     "Stand  up,  my  little  man." 

The  little  fellow  stood  up  on  both  feet.  She  told  him 
to  go  to  the  door.  He  walked  off  steadily,  as  if  the  use  of 
the  leg  had  never  left  him. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  97 

The  good  mother  fell  upon  her  knees  and  said.  "Good 
devil,  I  thank  yon."  The  medium  told  her  to  stop,  that 
it  was  not  the  devil,  hut  that  it  was  God 'a  power;  that  He 
loved  little  children  and  had.  through  her  faith,  restored 
her  little  son's  limb  to  perfect  health.  That  night  the  lit- 
tle boy.  well  and  strong,  ran  to  meet  his  father  when  he 
came  from  his  day's  labor.  This  ease  can  be  vouched  for 
by  many  now  living  in  Quincy,  111.  Some  of  this  family, 
whom  the  Lord  had  thus  blessed,  are  yet  living  and  will- 
ing to  tell  the  world  of  their  blessing. 

HER    FIRST    AND    LAST    DECEPTION. 

At  this  time  in  the  life  of  the  medium,  an  incident 
occurred,  which  many  have  heard  her  relate,  when  in  after 
years  great  popularity  had  come  to  her. 

She  had  been  invited  to  spend  the  afternoon  and  even- 
ing in  the  country,  at  tin-  home  of  Mrs.  Jenkins  one  of  the 
few  daringly  independent  families  not  ashamed  to  acknowl- 
edge this  great  and  glorious  truth.  Her  recreations  were 
few  indeed,  and  the  anticipated  delight  of  this  visit  waa 
beyond  expression.  To  get  out  into  nature  among  the 
trees,  the  flowers,  the  cattle  and  sheep,  was  her  great 
pleasure.  Her  busy  brain  was  filled  with  joy,  for  she  was 
a  worshipper  at  nature's  shrine  in  the  holier  significance  of 
the  word.  Her  whole  soul  was  filled  with  the  brightest 
anticipations  of  her  visit.  She  was  wonderfully  happy 
while  getting  ready  to  go]  Her  winged  feet  fairly  flitted 
from  room  to  room,  until  all  was  near  completion,  the 
household  put  in  order,  her  best  dress  on  and  wrap  on 
lief  arm.  The  door  bell  rang,  and,  upon  opening  it.  she 
found  an  old  German  standing  there,  asking  for  the  witch 
who  told  strange  things. 

She  answered.  "I  am  the  one  you  want."  He  said.  "I 
lose  BOmedingS,  you  tell  me?"  She  said.  "I  cannot.  I  am 
going  out  of  the  city  and  have  not  time."'  He  begged 
her  just  to  tell  him  a  little  something.  Like  all  mediums 
she  was  negative  and  could  not  turn  him  away.  Neither 
could  she  forego  her  visit  to  the  country.     She  decided  to 


98  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

tell  him  something,  even  if  it  was  not  true,  to  get  rid  of 
him.  So  she  said  :  ' '  You  have  lost  a  dog,  yes  two  dogs. ' ' 
"Yah,  yah,  that  be  him."  She  told  him  they  would  come 
home  on  the  ferry  the  next  evening  at  6  o'clock;  for  him  to 
gc  to  the  wharf  and  await  their  coming. 

She  thought:  "Oh,  God,  forgive  me.  What  a  lie, 
what  an  awful  lie ! "  The  man  left  highly  pleased.  He 
had  lost  two  valuable  setter  dogs  and  grieved  over  their 
loss  as  if  they  had  been  his  children. 

The  medium  went  out  in  the  country,  which  she  had 
so  longed  to  see  but  her  heart  was  heavy  and  sad,  beyond 
words  to  express.  "Lie,  lie,  lie,"  was  written  everywhere. 
The  bitter,  mean  lie  she  had  told  the  good  old  German. 
The  shadow  crept  over  her  heart  and  touched  her  whole 
being  and  left  a  gloom  that  nothing  could  dispel.  She  was 
paying  the  penalty  for  her  first  deception.  It  robbed  the 
day  of  its  glorious  sunshine.  The  company  of  friends 
could  not  imagine  what  made  her  so  sad,  unhappy  and 
restless.  She  would  not  tell,  fearing  they  would  hate  her 
as  she  hated  herself.  The  day,  with  its  sunshine  and  antici- 
pated pleasure  that  came  not,  wore  away. 

That  night  they  had  a  remarkably  fine  seance.  The 
spirits  seemed  in  great  good  humor,  and  when  the  guides 
were  asked  what  caused  the  trouble  in  the  medium's 
heart,  they  said  they  knew,  but  would  not  tell  just  then, 
but  told  them  to  wait  and  see.  That  night  the  tired  eyes 
would  not  close  in  sleep,  for  she  felt  guilty.  God  had  given 
her  a  beautiful  gift.  Because  she  desired  pleasure  to  duty 
she  had  told  a  big  falsehood  to  a  believing  old  man  who 
would  watch  and  wait  at  the  ferry  for  his  stolen  dogs  to 
come  home,  and  perchance  would  find  them  not.  Oh, 
what  misery.  How  bitter  the  retributive  thoughts  came 
and  went  until  daylight  with  its  splendor  brightened  her 
mind.  All  that  day  she  began  to  plan  how  she  could  leave 
the  city,  so  the  honest  old  German  could  not  confront  her 
with  the  dreadful  fact  that  he  went  and  waited  in  vain  for 
his  dogs. 

The    next    day    and   night   passed   leaving   her   most 


CONTIXTITY     OF      LAW     AND     LIFE.  99 

wretched  and  restless,  with  well  defined  plans  of  abscond- 
ing until  there  was  no  danger  of  meeting  her  victim.  True, 
hi'  had  paid  her  no  money,  but  she  had  lied  to  him.  She 
had  given  her  mother  instructions  if  a  German  called,  she 
was  not  to  see  him  under  any  circumstances.  She  would 
surely  die  with  shame  to  look  in  his  honest  face. 

Thinking  she  was  safe  she  was  sitting  by  the  stove 
in  the  kitchen  when  the  front  door  opened,  and  though 
the  room  came  steps  to  the  kitchen.  She  looked  np  and 
caught  her  breath  in  one  big  gasp  and  said,  "Oh!"  It  was 
the  honest  old  German,  who,  in  his  voluble  way  said,  "I 
come  pack  to  pays  you  for  mine  togs."  He  went  on  to 
Bay  he  had  found  them  just  as  she  said  he  would. 

Oh,  dear  heaven,  what  did  it  mean?  How  could  it 
be?  She  nearly  fainted  in  her  wild  joy  that  at  least  he 
had  the  dogs  and  she  had  not  told  him  an  untruth.  She 
then  heard  a  voice  saj-ing:  "You  meant  to  tell  that  good 
old  man  a  story.  In  your  eagerness  to  get  away,  you 
would  not  give  him  a  sitting,  and  thus  give  us  a  chanc  !  to 
tell  him.  We  saw  your  purpose  and  conversed  with  his 
spirit  relatives  who  knew  about  the  dogs.  My  little  lady, 
we  worked  hard  indeed  to  clear  you  of  the  vilest  of  all  vile 
things— a  falsehood.  We  knew,  and  let  you  suffer,  lhat 
you  might  know  that  real  falsehoods  will  bring  you  pain, 
shame  and  bitter,  degrading  humiliation,  such  as  will  con- 
sume all  that  is  good  and  loyal  within  your  soul." 

This  experience  was  sufficient.  She  never  forgot  the 
pain  and  disgust  and  terror  of  that  first  attempt  at  decep- 
tion. 

A    COUNTRY    BOY    CONSULTS    Till:    DEVIL. 

A  boy,  named  Silas  Green,  came  to  her  with  a  useless 
In',  bent  almost  double.     He  wanted  to  be  very  polite  and 

he  wanted  su  much  to  be  cured.  He  asked  the  medium  if 
Mephistopheles  would  cure  him.  lie  did  not  wanl  to  he 
rude  and  say  devil. 

The  young  man  had  hurt   his  knee  while  working  in  a 

corn  field  and  the  doctors  all  told  him  lie  could  not  recover 


100  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

the  use  of  his  leg.  They  told  him  the  sack  containing  the 
joint  water  had  burst,  causing  a  stiffness  impossible  to 
remove.  The  spirit  directed  the  medium  to  place  one  hand 
on  the  knee,  the  other  under  the  knee  and  hold  them  there 
about  five  minutes.  She  then  took  hold  of  the  foot  and 
gave  one  sudden  pull.  The  young  man  fell  back  in  a 
spasm  of  terrible  agony,  moaning  that  the  devil  had  surely 
killed  him. 

In  a  few  moments  the  control's  voice  greeted  him 
kindly  and  said:  "Get  up  and  stand  upon  both  feet." 
"I  can't,"  he  said.  The  voice  said:  "Oh,  yes,  you  can." 
He  struggled  weakly  to  his  feet.  When  lo !  he  could 
straighten  out  the  poor,  crippled  drawn  up  leg  that  for 
five  years  had  given  him  a  world  of  pain.  It  was  all 
right  and  he  could  walk.  No  need  for  the  unsightly 
crutches ;  no  limping  through  life.  How  gratefully  he 
thanked  the  devil  for  the  marvelous  cure.  He  said,  "I 
can't  quite  believe  it's  angel  power,  for  they  don't  take 
any  care  of  us.  They  are  too  busy  singing  songs  in  Heaven 
at  the  feet  of  Jesus." 

Blind,  blind  world !  Ignorant  humanity !  Souls  made 
strong  and  glad  in  the  light  of  immortality  have  much 
more  useful  tasks  than  singing  hymns  and  psalms  in  glory. 
No,  it  is  not  strange  that  angels  find  it  hard  to  reach  human 
souls  and  break  away  the  barriers  of  the  old  superstitions, 
to  enable  them  to  enter  into  our  domain  of  thought. 

The  great  religious  world,  dominated  by  creeds,  both 
taught  and  inbred,  prefer  to  live  in  the  shadow  rather 
than  in  the  light  of  God's  best  providence.  They  prefer 
to  live  in  darkness  rather  than  accept  a  truth,  or  any 
scientific  fact,  outside  of  their  teachings  and  contradictory 
of  Milton's  epic  story  of  man's  fall,  and  of  their  especially 
devised  plan  of  salvation. 

There  is  nothing  more  pretentious  in  the  world  to-day 
than  to  ask  thinking  men  to  accept  by  faith  what  can  be 
so  readily  and  easily  demonstrated  as  a  fact— what  can 
become  positive  knowledge. 

Faith  is  well,  knowledge  is  better,  when  that  know- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW      A.sl-      l.l'FK  1'! 

ledge  is  natural :  positive  because  scientific,  and  is  the  one 
great  hope  of  humanity.  We  readily  accepl  the  latest 
and  greatest  achievements  of  science  in  commanding  the 
ethereal  of  currents,  irrespective  of  storm  and  tempest,  to 
register,  in  the  fraction  of  a  second  of  time,  its  thought 

thousands  of  miles  across  seas  and  continents — a 
phenomenon  more  marvelous  than  any  we  here  record, 
which,  after  only  a  few  trials,  is  accepted  without  ques- 
tion. Why  deny  this  older  and  so  often  demonstrated 
fact?  Why  require  more  demonstration  of  the  fact  that 
there  is  an  interchange  of  thought  between  this  stage  of 
existence  and  the  nextl  Is  not  the  same  magnetic  force 
used  in  one  instance  as  in  the  other,  only  differently  gen- 
erated t  Does  the  religious  world  wait  for  the  hand  of 
science  to  reach  into  the  great  laboratory  of  nature  and 
devise  some  plan,  some  material  apparatus  by  the  use  of 
which  these  communications  can  be  had,  instead  of  receiv- 
ing them  through  God's  living  instruments  1  Must  it  have 
such  a  method  of  communication  before  it  will  cease  to  raise 
barriers  to  spiritual  messages,  before  objection  and  perse- 
cutions will  cease?  Such  an  invention  is  possible,  is  con- 
templated, and  will  be  forthcoming  in  the  near  future. 
Why  so  impervious  to  divine  spirit  working  through  mat- 
ter? Why  so  blindly  trample  under  religious  feet  the 
celestial  flowers  that  would  grow  beautifully  in  our  lives 
and  replace  the  bitter  thoughts  of  deceit  and  hypocrisy 
by  the  sweet  thoughts  of  truth,  charity  and  love?  Why 
beat  back  the  wonderful  visions  of  our  loved  ones  and 
reject  their  words  of  love  and  peace,  as  they  come  over 
the  weary  night  of  time  illumining  our  darkened  path- 
way with  the  wonders  of  their  celestial  homes?  Why 
close  our  hearts  to  the  splendor  of  their  glowing  thoughts, 
radiant  with  the  beauties  of  the  after  life? 

THE    INDIAN     MAKES    PRAIRIE    QUININE. 

Our  medium,  now  most  happy  in  the  exercise  of  her 
healim:  gift,  on  one  occasion,  accompanied  her  father  who 
went  after  wood   to   what   was   known    as   the    Mississippi 


dfll'  ,  RSYCHIC     LIGHT 

bottoms.  Her  father  left  her  with  a  German  family. 
Nearly  all  of  the  family  were  ill  with  chills  and  fever. 

She  could  not  speak  German,  and  they  could  not 
understand  English,  but  the  invisible  host  immediately 
stepped  in  and  conversed  with  them  in  German  as  lively 
as  one  could  wish.  All  their  ills  and  complaints  were 
speedily  poured  out  to  this  girl,  under  what,  if  they  could 
have  understood  the  stupendous  fact,  would  have  been  to 
them  the  devil's  influence.  She  hastened  from  the  house 
to  the  woods  nearby  and  began  a  systematic  search  after 
herbs,  and  found  them.  Her  father  saw  her,  followed 
and  watched.  She  cleaned  them  quickly  in  a  brook,  took 
them  to  the  house,  steeped  them,  and,  in  the  German 
language,  all  unconscious,  gave  them  instructions  how  to 
take  the  preparations.  They  carefully  followed  instruc- 
tions, and  when  she  visited  them  shortly  afterwards,  tak- 
ing a  German  girl  with  her  to  talk,  she  found  them  all 
well  and  profuse  in  their  gratitude  for  her  timely  assist- 
ance. They  told  her  about  their  neighbors  who  were  sick 
with  the  same  trouble  and  appealed  to  her  to  help  and 
cure  them. 

The  same  angel  of  guidance  and  charity  controlled 
her,  found  the  herbs  and  took  them  to  the  other  sick  and 
wretchedly  poor  people.  No  less  than  half  a  dozen  fami- 
lies suffering  from  that  disease  were  thus  cured.  The 
plant  was  then  cultivated  by  many.  The  medium's  con- 
trol called  it  "prairie  cprinine. " 

She  possessed  so  much  of  the  curative  power  and  was 
so  successful  that  people  from  far  and  wide  sought  her. 
She  often  spent  hours  in  the  woods  gathering  roots  and 
herbs  to  make  into  syrup  for  the  afflicted. 

EXPERIENCE    AS    A    NURSE. 

She  had  a  remarkable  experience  with  a  lady,  Mrs. 
Black,  who  had  black  erysipelas  of  a  very  malignant  form, 
The  doctors  told  her  it  was  contagious  but  she  did  not  for- 
sake her  post.  When  death  had  released  the  sufferer  and 
the  medium  was  preparing  the  corpse  for  a  lonely  burial, 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  103 

the  spirit  of  the  woman  stood  by  her  side  and  said,  "My 
dear,  what  is  that   woman  doing  there!   "     The  medium 

said,  "where,"  almost  forgetting  that  it  was  a  spirit  and 
not  Mrs.  Black  in  the  body,  who  thus  spoke  to  her.  The 
spirit  pointed  with  indignation  expressed  in  every  feature 
to  the  body  ami  said:  "That  woman  there  with  some  kind 
of  disease,  pointing  to  her  own  body."  Greatly  excited  the 
spirit  again  said  to  the  medim,  "Get  out  of  here  quick, 
my  deal-;  she  has  some  kind  of  a  malignant  disease  and 
I  am  afraid  we  will  catch  it."  The  face  of  the  dead  woman 
was  badly  swollen  and  covered  with  terrible  blotches  so 
that  the  spirit  failed  to  recognize  her  own  body. 

The  spirit  had  taken  its  departure  so  suddenly  from 
the  afflicted  body  that  she  did  not  know  she  was  dead. 
In  life  .Mis.  Black  was  a  woman  about  thirty-nine  or  forty 
years  old  and  quite  prepossessing  in  appearance.  She  soon 
became  aware  of  her  demise,  and  was  taken  away  by  her 
spirit   friends. 

On  another  occasion,  when  two  beautiful  children 
passed  over  with  scarlet  fever,  she  was  their  sole  attendant. 
The  mother  lay  at  death's  door.  The  father  who  had  to 
work  to  keep  the  Avolf  from  the  door,  earning  a  mere  pit- 
tance by  his  long  day's  labor,  was  away  from  home.  The 
doctor  came  and  looked  down  upon  the  two  little  ones  who 
had  been  the  sunshine  of  the  home,  so  bare  of  all  comforts. 
The  day  was  dark  and  stormy.  The  mother  was  so  ill  that 
she  could  not  lift  her  head  from  the  pillow.  There  was  no 
light  except  the  sputtering  weak  flame  from  a  piece  of  rag 
in  a  saucer  of  oil.  The  room  seemed  filled  with  some 
mighty  presence. 

The  doctor  looked  around,  spoke  kindly  to  our  over- 
taxed girl  nurse,  and  asked:  "What  is  it  that  makes  this 
room  look  so  bright  1  Look!  it's  all  aglow!"  Over  the 
heads  oi  the  two  children  rested  a  celestial  radiance.  "Is 
it   not   the   reflection    of   .l.-ssir's   golden    hair?*'   asked   the 

medium,  naming  one  of  Hie  girls  to  avert   the  doctor's 

skeptical  mind  from  what  was  now  quite  familiar  to  her— 
the  presence  of  the  ang<  '.-;   who  had  come  for  the  dyiii£. 


104  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

There  was  a  glorious  light  in  that  humble  room.  The 
doctor  could  not  leave.  He  took  off  his  coat  and  rubbers 
and  sat  down  for  the  first  time  in  earnest  in  his  exam- 
inations. With  a  startled  voice  he  said,  "My  God,  they 
are  both  dying."  One  little  hand  of  each  of  the  children 
lay  in  his,  growing  colder  and  colder.  Presently  the  father 
came  in  from  the  mud  of  the  streets,  from  the  tedium  of 
work,  with  every  nerve  strained  because  of  his  dire  neces- 
sities and  his  watching  and  waiting  at  the  bedside  of  his 
wife  and  his  sick  and  now  dying  children.  The  radiance 
in  the  room  remained.  The  father  was  not  left  without 
hope.  Though  desolate  in  his  yearnings  to  again  see  the 
little  golden  and  brown  heads  resting  on  his  breast,  he 
knew  they  would  come  again  and  again  to  cheer  him  on 
life's  road.  The  mother  recovered  to  find  her  birdlings 
gone. 

When  Dr.  Lewis  told  her  of  the  glorious  light  that 
had  filled  the  room,  and  of  the  fragrance,  as  if  some  visi- 
ble throng  had  brought  flowers  of  beauty  and  left  them 
with  her  loved  ones,  she  sighed  and  said:  "All  is  well 
done  in  the  will  of  the  Father." 


Maud  was  invited  to  visit  in  Hannibal,  Mo.  She  went 
to  the  house  of  the  well  known  Judge  Archer,  who  so 
kindly  received  here.  There,  pretty  much  as  in  her  own 
home,  she  held  cabinet  seances  for  full  form  manifesta- 
tions, independent  slate  writing,  found  lost  and  stolen 
property  and  convinced  many  skeptics.  She  reformed  sev- 
eral drinking  men  who  had  no  hope  that  reform  was  pos- 
sible. Her  powerful  and  kindly  guides  surrounded  them 
with  care  and  strengthened  and  released  them  from  their 
terrible  habit  and  appetites. 

The  general  public  at  this  date  was  most  bitter  and 
denunciatory  over  spirit  phenomena.  The  church  people 
and  especially  the  ministers,  were  exceedingly  abusive. of 
all  mediums  and  those  accepting  this  great  truth. 

Not  infrequently  she  would  be  approached  by  church 
members  who  would  try  and  crush  her  with  their  mighty 


CONTINl'ITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  105 

wrath  and  predict  a  terrible  ending  for  her,  saying  it  was 
of  the  devil,  and  thai  she  had  Bold  herself  to  him  to  gain 
this  power  of  insight  into  human  lives. 

None  came  to  pray  with  her.    They  reviled  and  lashed 

her  with  vengeance  for  this,  the  soul's  best  gift,  that  which 
had  saved  her  from  madness,  from  death  in  the  waters  of 
the  old  river,  saved  her  from  absolute  ignorance.  No 
need  for  her  to  picture  to  them  her  past  despair  before 
this  blaze  of  living  light  crept  slowly  into  her  life  and 
was  now  lighting  up  the  horizon  of  her  darkened  sky. 
They  told  her  that  God  did  not  hear  her;  that  she  was  so 
wicked. 

Wise,  must  wise  to  thus  know  Cod's  will  and  purpose 
so  well!  The  angels  heard,  and  always  after  these  rude, 
but  possibly  necessary  combats  and  conflicts,  would  try 
to  render  some  service  to  her  young  soul  thus  grown  deso- 
late under  the  lashings  of  religious  hate. 

ENCOUNTER    WITH    A    MINISTER. 

One  day  a  minister  called  upon  her  and  abruptly 
asked  her  if  she  was  the  young  lady  possessing  the  devil. 
She  answered.  "No,  sir,  but  if  you  have  angel  friends 
that  are  with  you,  I  can  see  them." 

"You  lie,"  he  said;  "you  lie.  You  see  devils,  for 
angels  are  with  God.  I  am  a  minister  of  God  and  I  should 
know  whether  angels  come  back  or  not.  I  have  not  seen 
them  and  I  know  you  see  the  devil.  You  should  be  put 
in  prison  and  kept  there.  You  are  inoculating  hundreds 
with  your  infernal  teaching." 

This  religious  tirade  brought  tears  to  her  eyes.  Her 
heart  was  gentle,  loving,  forgiving  and  so  tender  towards 
all  God's  creatures;  she  could  not  trample  out  the  life  of 
even  a  flower,  and  this  rude,  wrathful  talk  from  one  who 
professed  to  be  a  follower  of  Jesus  made  crucifixion  in 
her  heart. 

He  continued  and  fairly  hissed  his  accusations  in  the 
most  condemning,  abusive  and  vindictive  words.  He  gave 
her  no  chance  to  reply,  so   fierce  was  his  wrath. 


106  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

It  was  nearly  dark,  and  as  he  started  to  leave,  there 
came  from  the  corner  of  the  room  a  sound  as  of  rustling 
garments.  Out  of  the  shadow  of  the  corner  came  some- 
thing white  as  spotless  snow.  The  minister  looked  and 
fairly  shrieked.     "My  God,  what  is  this?" 

As  he  grasped  at  this  something  white  in  front  of 
him,  his  fingers  clutched  only  the  air.  He  looked  and 
acted  like  a  madman.  He  shook  his  finger  in  her  face  and 
said:  "That  was  one  of  your  lying  tricks."  Again  a 
chair  moved  from  the  farther  part  of  the  room,  moved  close 
up  to  the  enraged  clergyman.  Frenzied  with  anger  and  fear, 
he  started  up  as  if  to  annihilate  anything  that  dared  to 
assume  shape  in  his  august  presence.  He  clutched  the 
chair  and  held  it  fast.  Again  the  form  showed  itself,  this 
ttme  clear  and  distinct.  With  a  startled  cry  he  said,  "My 
God,  it's  my  mother!"  and  fell  back  speechless. 

For  some  time  there  was  not  a  word  spoken.  At  last 
he  broke  out  with  terrible  indignation,  saying  that  the 
devil  had  brought  his  dead  mother,  Mrs  Lucinda  Dunn, 
from  her  grave  and  from  her  winding  sheets  where  they 
had  laid  her. 

This  reverend  gentleman  lived  in,  or  near,  St.  Louis. 
At  another  time,  in  Quincy,  several  church  people 
came  together  to  ask  that  she  let  them  support  her  and 
she  renounce  her  teaching.  With  dire  threats  they  told 
her  that  many  were  being  led  by  her  devil  power  to  be- 
lieve in  spirits  and  that  she  must  cease  to  teach  such 
dreadful  things.  She  told  them  that  it  could  not  be  of 
evil  origin  and  smiled  at  their  threats,  saying :  ' '  Imprison 
me  if  you  wish,  load  my  good  name  with  odium,  hurl  at  me 
all  your  wrath  and  rage,  pursue  me  with  torture  and  lacer- 
ations of  heart,  yet  will  I  teach  and  preach,  if  only  to  the 
spirits  in  prison.  They  will  heed  and  hear  my  prayers. 
You  can  torture  and  wound  me,  persecute  and  make  me 
wretched,  but  you  cannot  take  from  me  my  light  and  my 
Life.  This  light  may  fall  in  barren  places,  even  as  now, 
but  in  time  it  will  cause  the  seed  of  immortal  life  and 
beauty  to  spring  up  and  bear  fruit." 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE  107 

They  though.1  her  losl  and  bent  upon  her  own  destruc- 
tion. The  Reverend  Mr.  Jonea,  who  Later  became  a  spirit- 
ualist, was  among  the  number  to  Bend  members  of  his  con- 
it  ion  to  persuade  her  to  cease  what  he  thought  were 
evil  teachings.  But  this  was  only  a  drop  of  the  worm- 
wood and  gal]  she  had  to  drink  from  the  proud  and  fool- 
ish who  believed  their  wisdom  was  sufficient  to  fathom  the 
laws  and  secrets  of  the  universe. 

Of  these  men  believing  themselves  wise  beyond  all 
measure,  assuming  to  have  drunk  the  fount  of  wisdom  dry, 
it  might  be  said  as  has  been  said  before : 

"Go.   wiser   thou:    and.    in   thy  scale   of   sense 
Weigh   thy   opinion   against    Providence; 
Call   imperfection   what   thou   fanciest   such, 
Say.   here   he  gives   too   little,  there  too  much; 
Destroy  all  creatures  for  thy  sport  or  gust, 
Vet.  cry.  if  Man's  unhappy,  God's  unjust; 
If  Man  alone  engross  not  Heaven's  high  care, 
Alone    made    perfect    here,    immortal    there; 
Snatch  from  His  hand  the  balance  and  the  rod, 
Rejudge  His  justice,  be  the  God  of  God." 

The  workers  on  new  lines  who  question  dominant 
religious  thought  must  accept  the  bitter  with  the  sweet, 
and  must  be  prepared  to  take  the  abuse  that  ignorant  and 
prejudiced  souls  may  hurl  at  them.  They  must  be  pre- 
pared to  receive  the  venom,  the  sneers,  the  malice  and  the 
thoughts  that  scathe  and  wound,  and  hurt  with  bitter- 
est pain— wounds  that  prevent  honest  and  struggling  souls 
from  arising  on  the  wings  of  lofty  and  holy  inspirations. 

FOUR   WISE    MEN. 

"Four  wise  men"  came  one  day  while  she  was  busy 
with  her  Monday's  work  and  asked  her  to  show  them  what 
she  could  do.  She  told  them  she  was  very  busy  and  could 
hardly  spare  the  time.  "We  though!  so."  s;iid  one  of 
them,  with  a  sneer.  "We  have  broughl  something  the  devil 
cannot  work  through."  Being  thus  positively  and  insult- 
ingly addressed  she  became  conscious  that  her  guides  wished 
her  to  reprove  them  and  show  them  how  ignorant  they 
were  to  thus  boa 


108  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

She  said,  "Come  in  gentlemen."     Rolling  down   her 
sleeves  she  gave  them  chairs. 

"We  hear  yon  get  raps,  almost  anywhere." 
"Yes,   sir,"   she   replied. 

"Well,  do  ytfu  make  them  with  your  toe  joints?" 
Laughing  heartily,  she  replied  :    ' '  Hardly,  sir,  as  they 
will  rap  on  your  head,  if  you  wish. ' ' 

One,  a  most  devout  deacon,  as  he  proved  to  be,  did 
not  want  to  be  so  familiar  with  the  devil. 

"As  long  as  you  do  not  make  them  with  your  toes, 
or  feet,  or  hands,  you  can  have  no  objection  to  our  exper- 
imenting and  showing  you  that  it  is  the  devil,  and  lead 
you  back  to  a  better  life  than  teaching  people  this  delu- 
sion ? ' ' 

She  cheerfully  assented  and  they  brought  in  from  their 
vehicle  four  large  bottles  and  a  large  piece  of  glass.  Tak- 
ing their  four  hats  they  wisely  put  each  bottle  into  a  hat. 
They  next  took  the  glass  and  placed  it  upon  the  bottles, 
with  a  look  of  "There,  Mr.  Devil,  if  you  dare."  They  then 
said,   "Now,  Miss,   ask  them  to  rap  on   this  glass." 

She  touched  the  glass  and  asked,  if  any  spirit  was 
present  to  please  rap.     No  rap  came. 

Pleased  and  exultant  one  of  them  said:  "There,  I 
told  you  so." 

Again  she  said,  "Please  rap  three  times."  This  time 
three  soft  and  distinct  raps  came,  "one,  two,  three,"  on 
the  glass. 

Their  faces  changed,  one  nervously  said,  "Gentle- 
men what  is  this  that  defies  all  laws  of  electricity  and 
magnetism?"    "Ask  again,  Miss,  if  they  will  rap." 

Immediately  three  loud  and  distinct  raps  came  on  the 
glass.  Three  more  came  on  the  bottles;  brittle,  snapping 
raps.     They  all  started  back  in  amazement. 

The  medium  said,  "Do  you  wish  to  communicate? 
"Yes,"  came  the  quick  reply.  She  repeated  a,  b,  c,  and  so 
on  until  the  right  letter  was  called;  and  this  message  was 
spelled  out. 

"These  men  are  spiritually  blind  and  without  wisdom 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  109 

sufficient  to  comprehend  the  divine  Laws  controlling  mind 
and  matter.  In  their  superstitions  blindness  they  deny  all 
evidence  of  this  manifesting,  deifie  force  and  call  it.  "The 
Devil.-'  They  are  babbling  fools,  acknowledging  nothing 
outside  of  their  own  fathomless  stupidity,  knowing  noth- 
ing beyond  their  own  limited  senses,  let  them  ^<>." 

This  astonished  one  of  the  gentlemen  considerably,  and 
he  said,  "Are  there  things  that  yon  could  tell  us  that 
would  benefit  our  lives?"  Readily  the  answer  came,  "  Fes." 
Then  more  messages,  names  of  friends  and  dates  of  their 
deaths  were  given. 

Finally  the  elder  one  of  the  party  rose  in  greal  ex- 
citement  and  said.  "Miss,  you  have  treated  us  to  an  exhi- 
bition of  diabolism." 

This  was  hardly  said  when  the  trlass  was  lifted  from 
the  hottles.  It  went  up  suddenly  and  with  a  swift,  (puck 
dasli  was  shattered  into  innumerable  pieces  as  it  came  down 
upon  the  bottles. 

Thus  ended  the  seance  with  the  four  wise  men  of 
Egypt.  One  gentleman,  Mr.  Beekwith,  declared  it  could 
only  be  of  evil  origin  and  that  the  medium  would  some 
time  burn  in  a  literal  lake  of  fire  and  brimstone. 

Without  thanks  or  recompense  of  any  kind  for  her 
time  they  took  their  departure.  They  came  to  interview  the 
devil  and  went  away  marveling  at  his  sagacious  wit  and 
wonderful  knowledge  <>f  their  lives. 

UNUSUAL  TEST  CONDITIONS. 

The  next  day  following  this  experience  the  medium 
was  called  to  Mr.  Hockenberry's  in  Warren  County.  They 
had   made  all   arrangements   for  a  cabinet   seance.     They 

requested  her  to  come  alone  so  they  would  know  that  she 
had  no  accomplices.  The  company  was  mainly  eomp 
of  their  immediate  family,  eight  or  ten  in  all.  They  had 
prepared  a  board  through  which  they  had  made  four  holes. 
They  tied  each  hand  and  each  foot  with  stoul  cords  and 
passed  the  ends  of  the  cords  through  the  holes  in  the  hoard 
and   knotted   them   on   the  other  side.      Shi-   was   thus   tied 


110  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

so  she  could  not  move  hand  or  foot.  They  then  laid  her 
and  the  board  flat  on  the  floor  and  tacked  her  garments  to 
the  floor. 

They  had  scarcely  closed  the  curtain  before  hands  were 
shown  and  faces  of  their  loved  ones  appeared,  recogni- 
tion and  hand-shakings  and  exchange  of  greetings  seemed 
to  be  the  order  of  the  eveniug.  Little  toddling  children, 
so  small  and  tiny  the  parents  had  to  kneel  to  touch  their 
hands  and  see  the  cherub  faces.  Lights  large  and  lumin- 
ous came,  sometimes  fleeting,  sometimes  coming  slowly  and 
staying,  for  several  seconds.  Sometimes  there  were  faces, 
sometimes  the  entire  form  of  some  loved  one  appeared. 
They  asked  and  received  this  glorious  light.  Like  a  blessing 
it  fell  upon  those  who  sought  to  understand. 

They  examined  the  medium  and  found  her  as  they  had 
left  her,  tied  and  tacked  to  the  board  and  floor.  It  was 
impossible  for  her  to  move,  get  up,  or  duplicate  any  of  the 
manifestations. 

These  manifestations  were  evidence  to  their  senses,  and 
to  their  reason.  Their  minds  were  flooded  with  the  glad 
tidings  of  great  joy  that  there  was  no  death,  that  God,  the 
great  essential  soul,  a  power  ever  present  and  ever  felt, 
had  given  his  angels  command  over  matter  as  well  as 
given  to  every  atom  its  inherent  condition  of  divine  life 
and  place  in  the  realms  of  being ;  had  given  to  every  flower 
its  living  and  exquisite  individual  life  and  form  of  beauty, 
and  had  endowed  all  organized  forms  with  individual- 
ized, ensphering,  cosmic  force  that  calls  atoms  back  to 
recognizable  forms  of  life  and  beauty. 

By  these  laws  build  we  our  bodies  and  formulate  out 
thought — form  them  on  lines  of  beauty  pure  and  good,  or 
with  evil  intent  to  hurt  and  wound.  Thus  equipped  these 
thoughts  go  forth  winged  with  potent  force  and  purpose 
to  ennoble  or  demean  the  spirit  in  its  own  eyes. 

When  memory,  the  great  recording  angel,  accuser 
and  judge — from  whose  decision  there  will  be  no  appeal, 
shall,  in  that  after  life  unroll  her  living  palimpsest  and 
reproduce  every  line,  there  will  be  no  intermediary,  for  this 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW      AND     LIFE.  Ill 

harvest  of  bitter  and  sweet  will  be  ours  and  ours  alone. 
Such  is  the  testimony  of  all  who  have  come  from  beyond 
the  Gohhn  Bastions  of  Eternal  Life,  and  such  have  been 
the  precepts  of  all  the  great  ethical  teachers  of  human- 
ity. As  Juvenal  says:  "Himself  being  the  judge,  no 
guilty  nian  is  acquitted." 

Did  not  Jesus— the  Christ— say:  "There  is  nothing 
covered  that  shall  not  be  revealed;  nothing  hidden  that 
sball   not   be  known. 

Confucius— the  philosopher-  said;  "Man  cannot  be 
concealed  from  the  consequences  of  his  acts." 

Gautama— the  Buddha— said:  "The  thing  is  followed 
by  its  shadow." 

The  same  spiritual  laws  and  great  moral  truths  were 
taught  by  all  of  the  sixteen  crucified  saviors  of  whom  we 
have  record.  Of  these,  Chrisna,  Gautama  and  Jesus,  each 
in  his  epoch,  have  left  to  humanity  three  imperishable 
religions  which  have  withstood  and  always  will  withstand 
the  assaults  of  skepticism  and  materialism.  So  long  as 
man  has  a  knowledge  of  a  co'ntinued  existence,  so  long  will 
he  continue  to  be  religious. 

Chrisna  the  savior  of  the  Hindoos,  is  the  oldest  and, 
like  Jesus,  died  on  the  cross,  while  Gautama,  the  savior  of 
the  Buddhists,  Tartars  and  Chinese  escaped  crucifixion. 
They  all  taught  a  spiritual  religion  and  lived  lives  of  sim- 
plicity and  purity.  They  possessed  great  healing  and 
clairvoyant  powers.  Their  mothers  were  immaculate  and 
had  holy  conceptions,  the  same  as  that  of  Mary,  the  mother 
of  Jesus,  who.  with  Joseph,  was  controlled  or  entranced 
by  spirits,  or  as  the  Bible  states  it.  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  at 
the  conception  of  Jesus.  So  the  wiser  intelligences  now 
explain  and  so  was  it  explained  to  Joseph  by  the  angel  of 
the  Lord.  They  performed  miracles,  cured  the  lame, 
healed  the  sick,  made  the  blind  See;  east  out  devils,  or 
cured  obsession;  showed  themselves  as  risen,  materialized 
spirits,  and  were  worshipped  by  their  followers. 

According  to  the  most  reliable  calculations,  Chrisna 
lived  about  6890  years  a:_ro.  and  Gautama  about  2560  years 


112  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ago.  None  of  these  three  ever  claimed  to  be  God,  but  all 
taught  the  same  high  spiritual  truths  and  moral  respon- 
sibilities. They  were  mediums  as  was  Appollonius  of 
Tyana,  who  was  a  contemporary  of  Jesus  and  confined  his 
work  to  the  rich  while  Jesus  confined  himself  to  the  poor; 
so  were  Socrates,  Cicero,  Esculapius,  Zoroaster,  founder  of 
the  fire  worshippers  of  ancient  Persia,  and  Sosioch  the  Per- 
sian Savior.  All  these  great  teachers  and  mediums,  even 
in  earliest  history  of  humanity  taught  a  moral  respon- 
sibility. All  taught  a  continued  existence,  recognizing  this 
stage  of  existence  as  preparatory  to  the  next. 

Our  own  science  also  teaches  us  that  nature's  laws 
are  not  vicarious.  All  is  cause  and  effect.  Action  and 
reaction  are  equal  in  mechanics,  in  intellectual  and  spirit- 
ual realms,— in  all  forms  of  force.  Why  refuse  to  recog- 
nize law,  why  build  codes  of  ethics  and  formulate  lines  of 
thought  and  action  contrary  to  nature's  divine  law? 

The  upward  way  of  eternal  progression  is  already 
blocked  by  centuries  of  ignorance,  ecclesiasticism  and  intel- 
lectualism  gone  mad.  Why  not  accept  the  natural,  logical 
deductions  of  reason  and  listen  to  the  voices  that  whisper 
to  our  inner  consciousness?  Why  not  hearken  to  those 
whose  lips  are  again  falling  into  speech  in  conformity  to 
God's  eternal  laws?  These  laws  are  the  same  to-day  as 
when  Jesus  spoke  to  His  Disciples  in  the  closed  room.  These 
laws  are  unchanged  and  unchangeable  forever,  and  cannot 
be  adjusted  to  man's  creeds. 

These  teachings,  with  the  poverty,  humiliation  and 
sorrows  that  she  had  to  endure,  made  our  girl  medium 
strong  and  brave  in  the  great  battle  of  life.  They  gave 
her  power  over  the  hearts  of  the  people  who  were  mourning 
over  the  loss  of  family  and  friends,  and  who  feared 
that  grim  terror  called  death.  Her  mission  was  to  teach 
such  that  there  is  no  limit  to  this  God-given  power  of  the 
soul.  That  there  is  no  boundary  line  to  soul  forces— no 
limit,  only  God,  who  permits  the  loved  ones  to  come  and 
tell  of  the  greater  birth  which  death  brings— who  per- 
mits them  to  return  with  memory  of  the  past  and  knowl- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  113 

edge  of  the  future,  and  to  establish  beautiful  peace  where 
fear  existed.  Nothing  so  destroys  capabilities,  cripples 
human  energies  or  palsies  courage  as  this  iVnr  of  death. 

People  came  from  all  parts  of  the  country  to  see  these 
strange  manifestations.  The  church  people  continued  to 
talk  to  her,  to  write  threatening  Letters,  to  hurl  bitter 
denunciations  from  the  pulpit  upon  her  defenseless  head, 
and  by  their  prejudices  and  bigotry,  to  make  her  life 
at  times  almost  unendurable.  Others  came  to  learn,  but 
more  came  out  of  curiosity.  Very  few  remunerated  her 
for  her  time  and  again  she  was  obliged  to  seek  employment. 

She  found  a  place  with  Mrs.  Seaman  who  had  never 
heard  of  a  medium  and  did  not  know  of  her  peculiar  gift. 
From  the  first  meeting  with  the  new  girl  she  discovered 
in  her  something  different  from  all  others  and  something 
the  good  lady  could  not  fathom.  The  household  consisted 
of  four  members.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seaman  and  one  son, 
eighteen  or  nineteen  years  old,  and  an  old  servant,  the 
cook.  They  were  people  in  good  circumstances  financially, 
and  staunch  church  members.  The  medium  gave  her  mid- 
dle name,  fearing  that  possibly  they  had  heard  of  her  and 
might  not  want  her. 

She  had  been  at  this  place  about  two  weeks  and  all 
went  well  until  one  evening  the  old  lady  was  left  alone, 
her  son  being  away  upon  a  hunting  expedition ;  her  hus- 
band down  street  on  business  and  the  cook  out  to  a  dance, 
so  she  sought  Maud  for  company  and  to  break  the  monot- 
ony of  the  loneliness.  The  medium,  not  expecting  her  and 
believing  she  was  absolutely  secure  from  intrusion,  sought 
communion  with  her  guides  and  teachers,  chatting  and 
laughing  at  their  witty  sayincrs  and  repartee,  as  was  often 
the  case  when  she  was  left  alone  with  them.  Mrs.  Seaman 
went  to  Maud's  room,  knowing  all  the  household  were 
absent. 

In  Heaven's  name  what  can  this  be?  Company  in 
her  room!  A  crowd  of  people!  Astonished  and  indig- 
nant, she  listened  and  heard  voices  repeating  lessons  in 
spell  in«r. 


114  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

When  the  voice  she  knew  to  be  her  new  girl's  failed  to 
spell  rightly  there  was  a  big  laugh,  a  gentle  reprimand  and 
another  attempt  to  spell  and  so  on  until  this  good  old 
church  member  was  horrified  and  her  brain  wild  with 
fear  that  her  young  son  had  returned  home  and  was  in 
the  room  giving  her  new  girl  spelling  lessons. 

Without  even  a  knock  upon  the  door,  she  rushed  in. 
The  room  was  in  stygian  darkness.  She  called  to  the 
girl  excitedly  to  get  a  light  immediately  that  she  might  see 
what  was  going  on.  She  felt  surprised  that  such  a  nice 
appearing  girl  should  be  so  untrustworthy.  The  lamp  was 
hastily  lighted  and  the  room  examined.  There  was  but 
one  door  and  one  window.  It  was  a  little  room  upstairs 
only  one  outward  access  to  it  and  the  good  old  lady  had 
her  back  against  this  door.  She  looked  into  the  closet 
and  then  into  the  hall  for  the  culprit. 

All  this  time  Maud  stood  in  dismay  and  silence,  that 
she  should  be  thus  caugh't.  What  could  she  say  and  what 
would  be  thought?  Mrs.  Seaman  turned  from  her  fruit- 
less search  and  said  indignantly:  "Who  did  you  have  in 
this  room?  I  am  sure  I  heard  two  or  three  voices  talking." 
Maud  answered :  ' '  No  one,  I  was  amusing  myself,  that 
was  all.  Please  believe  me  for  I  do  not  know  any  one  and 
would  not  invite  any  one  to  my  room  without  your  per- 
mission." The  lady  had  to  be  pacified  but  was  still  sus- 
picious. This  passed  off  without  any  further  comment 
except  to  the  husband  who  laughed  at  his  wife's  fears  and 
fright. 

Another  week  slipped  by  and  one  evening  the  medium 
was  again  surprised  by  a  rap  upon  the  door,  and  Mrs. 
Seaman's  voice  saying  angrily:  "Open  the  door  quick — I 
have  you  now. ' '  The  medium  opened  the  door  more  fright- 
ened than  Mrs.  Seaman  could  have  been.  The  same  dark 
and  dreadful  aspect  of  the  room  presented  itself  to  the 
now  thoroughly  indignant  mistress.  That  her  girl  had  a 
gentleman  in  the  room  she  was  now  fully  convinced.  As 
she  entered  she  placed  her  back  against  the  door  at  the 
same  time  turning  the  key  that  none  might  escape.     She 


(•INTIMITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  115 

Looked  under  the  bed,  in  the  closet,  everywhere  and  do  one 
was  to  be  found. 

She  turned  to  Maud  and  said.  "What  is  this  dreadful 
thing  1  I  am  positive  I  heard  a  man  talking  to  you.  Where 
has  he  pone?"  The  medium  was  young  and  her  spirits 
were  easily  aroused  to  mirth  or  depressed  to  tears.  Tt  was 
merriment  this  time.  She  laughed  at  the  nn  Ful  count**- 
nance  of  the  good  mistress  who  had  been  so  kindly  drawn 
to  her. 

This  laughing  set  the  madam  in  a  better  humor,  and  she 
la nuhed  too,  and  asked  that  she  tell  her  all  and  she  should 
not  be  scolded.  The  medium  said:  "I  will  tell  you  all 
about  it.  and  you  shall  condemn  or  approve  me,  censure  me, 
or  like  me.    You  shall  have  the  whole  truth." 

Seated  at  her  feet,  she  told  the  story  of  her  medium- 
ship,  confided  her  whole  history,  told  all  that  others  had 
said  in  commendation  and  censure.  She  was  not  allowed  to 
retire  that  night  until  it  was  repeated  to  son  and  husband 
whin  they  came  in  and  found  them  so  confidentially  clos- 
eted together.  They  must  see  something  for  themselves,  so 
they  sat  around  a  table.  The  raps  and  moving  soon  claimed 
tlnir  attention  and  convinced  them  that  the  girl  was  true, 
and  that  her  trials  and  tribulations  of  mediumship  were 
also  true.  These  good  church  people,  honest  and  true,  ac- 
cepted the  facts  presented  to  them.  They  then  wanted  a 
seance.  The  following  evening  a  cabinet  was  arranged  after 
the  usual  manner  of  cabinets  and  the  preponderance  of 
beautiful  evidence  of  spirit  manifestations  and  return,  was 
verified  by  convincing  proof,  by  the  glorious  utterances 
from  lips  that  they  supposed  to  be  cold  in  death  and 
hidden  from  sight. 

This  worthy  family  was  convinced  of  the  continuity  of 
personal,  individual  life.  Death  had  no  more  terrors.  Their 
loved  ones  were  not  lost  in  eternal  night.  Belief  had  become 
knowledge.  This  good  soul  now  proved  Maud's  benefac- 
tress. She  provided  her  a  comfortable  wardrobe,  even  ele- 
gant, and  started  her  out  with  a  "God  bless  you,  my  child, 


H6  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

go  and  sow  the  seeds  of  immortal  life,  and  falter  not,  and 
fall  not  by  the  wayside.     When  weary,  come  to  us." 

This  nohle  woman  and  her  kindly  meaning  husband  are 
among  the  angels  now,  administering  to  those  in  spiritual 
need  and  darkness.  Thus  equipped  and  encouraged,  the 
medium  went  forth  again,  visiting  many  homes  and  places, 
and  bringing,  even  to  the  most  bitterly  prejudiced  and  the 
most  obstinate  bigots,  the  light  and  truth  of  the  brighter 
side  of  life.  Not  infrequently  these  loving  spirit  compan- 
ions would  spend  hours  in  teaching  her  the  common  things 
of  life,  as  well  as  instructing  her  upon  scientific  subjects; 
explaining  the  laws  underlying  all  life  and  all  things. 

Many  listening  ears  have  heard  these  voices  deliver- 
ing grand  lectures  to  this  strange  child  of  seemingly  unfor- 
tunate conditions,  in  language  more  choice  and  elegant  than 
ever  fell  from  human  lips,  with  a  vocabulary  selected  from 
all  tongues  and  embracing  all  science,  instructing  her  in 
laws  and  principles  not  then— and  some  not  now— formu- 
lated into  philosophies,  or  found  in  text  books  of  the  most 
advanced  colleges. 

The  possession  and  the  involuntary  exercise  of  these 
spiritual  gifts  caused  her  to  be  debarred  from  school  and 
condemned  by  the  church — by  those  whom  the  Master  is 
supposed  to  love  and  hold  in  his  especial  care  and  keep- 
ing, who  claimed  to  be  predestined  as  "Heirs  of  Salva- 
tion from  the  beginning." 

How  did  these  chosen  few,  these  elect — and  there  are 
some  of  them  still  living  in  this  glorious  twentieth  century 
of  advanced  thought— treat  this  gifted  child? 

Did  she  have  to  climb  with  bleeding  feet  and  bruised 
hands  to  reach  the  summit,  to  receive  the  wisdom  from 
celestial  teachers,  to  place  this  light  so  high  that  men  and 
"spirits  in  prison"  could  catch  the  gleam  and  not  lose  the 
way  of  eternal  progression — this  God-given  light  of  the 
soul,  the  only  light  that  can  illuminate  the  dark  depths  of 
materialism  and  unbelief,  for  surely  the  shortest  road  to 
materialism  is  through  the  church? 


CHAPTER   IV. 


EXPERIENCES  OF  A.   II.  WILLIAMS  OP  CHICAGO,  ILLINOIS. 

I   have  no  creed.     Creeds  are  but  words. 
Good  is  the  only  rule;   and.  yet.  I  fear  no  death; 
Or,  if  a  creed,  but  this;  I  love  humanity,  and  require 
The  Fatherhood  of  God — the  Brotherhood  of  man." 


A.  II.  Williams,  who  conducted  a  series  of  spiritual 
meetings  for  many  years  on  the  West  Side  in  Chicago,  was 
one  of  the  first  in  Illinois  to  recognize  the  fact  of  spirit 
return.  He  organized  and  conducted  the  first  spiritual 
society  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  at  Qnincy,  where 
our  medium,  just  a  mere  girl,  took  charge,  spoke  under  con- 
trol, gave  tests  and  held  public  seances.  Their  meetings 
were  held  in  Hampshire  Hall.  After  the  speaking  they 
sometimes  sat  around  a  table  and  received  communications 
by  raps.  and.  sometimes  they  had  a  cabinet. 

At  one  of  the  cabinet  seances,  the  spirit  of  a  woman 
came  and  said  she  was  from  New  York  state,  and,  while 
passing  through  Quincy  she  had  been  murdered  by  two  men 
who  had  followed  her  from  New  York  to  rob  her:  and.  that 
the  two  men  were  still  in  the  city.  She  said  they  had  mur- 
dered her  and  dismembered  her  body  in  a  small  hotel  near 
the  depot,  where  she  had  been  induced  to  stop  when  she 
arrived.  She  also  said  if  they  would  look  back  of  the  old 
Quincy  House  they  would  find  one  of  her  hands,  and  would 
find  a  portion  of  her  body  in  an  abandoned  well  in  another 
part  of  the  city. 

Mr,  Williams  made  search  the  next  day  and  found  the 
hind  and  gave  it  to  the  authorities  with  a  full  account  of 
how  the  information  came  to  him.  When  this  became  pub- 
licly  known   it  caused   great   excitement,   and   the  eurioua 


118  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

became  so  interested  that  search  was  made  for  the  old  and 
abandoned  well.  This  was  at  last  located  and  a  portion  of 
the  body  found  as  told  by  the  spirit. 

Everybody  was  now  talking  about  the  murder,  the 
strange  way  in  which  it  was  discovered,  and  the  still 
stranger  girl  medium  at  the  Sunday  evening  meeting.  If 
the  spirit  could  tell  so  much,  why  not  tell  who  were  the 
murderers,  and  point  them  out,  was  the  universal  query. 

The  next  Sunday  evening  the  hall  was  crowded.  Quite 
a  number  sat  around  the  table  for  raps.  On  such  occasions, 
the  rule  was,  when  raps  came,  for  each  to  say,  "Is  it  for 
me?"  and  so  on,  around  the  table. 

Raps  came  during  this  evening  which  did  not  come 
for  any  one  at  the  table.  Mr.  Williams  asked  others  pres- 
ent to  repeat  the  question  until  the  spirits  should  designate 
the  one  to  whom  they  came.  This  was  done  by  a  few  of  those 
present.  Two  men,  when  their  turn  to  ask  came,  said  they 
did  not  believe  in  such  things  and  refused  to  ask  if  it  was 
for  them.  Mr.  Williams  then  asked  the  spirit  to  spell  out 
the  name.  Immediately  the  name  of  the  murdered  woman 
was  rapped  out. 

All  eyes  were  turned  upon  the  two  men  who  had 
refused  to  ask  if  the  raps  were  for  them.  Greatly  excited 
they  arose  and  commenced  to  abuse  and  deride  the  whole 
matter  and  instantly  left  the  room. 

The  next  day  a  man  reported  that  two  men  came  hur- 
riedly to  the  river  and  paid  him  five  dollars  to  row  them 
across.  From  their  talk  he  knew  they  had  been  at  Mr. 
William's  meeting. 

Mr.  Williams  and  his  family  of  girls  were  all  musi- 
cians, and  singers.  He  had  arranged  to  travel  with  them 
and  give  musical  entertainments,  and  concluded  to  take 
Maud  with  them.  He  made  a  contract  with  her  father  for 
her  service  for  a  year.  On  his  musical  program  he  adver- 
tised "Miss  Jennie  Barrock"  to  give  cabinet  seances  for 
spiritual  manifestations,  materializations,  clairvoyance  and 
clairaudience.     He  boldly  challenged  the  world  to  investi- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  119 

gate.  Be  went  forth  to  battle  for  the  truth,  conscious  that 
his  medium  could  fully  demonstrate  the  facts.  His  cour- 
age  and  ability  wore  destined  to  be  severely  tested.    Few 

had  heard  of  spiritualism,  and  fewer  still  dared  to  admit 
its  claim,  because  it  was  not  popular. 

THE  WISH  .MAX  OF  THE  TOWN  EXPLAINS. 

Mr.  Williams  writes  as  follows:  Our  first  stop  was  at 
Camp  Point,  for  two  evenings.  Here  the  important  man 
of  the  place  was  a  doctor  whose  wisdom  was  great  in  the 
eyes  of  the  people.  He  would  show  that  it  was  all  hum- 
bug, BO  wise  are  many  people  in  pronouncing  upon  a  sub- 
ject concerning  which  they  know  nothing. 

On  the  second  evening  this  doctor  came  with  several 
yards  of  surgeon's  silk.  They  were  twenty-seven  minutes  in 
tying  the  medium  under  his  directions.  She  stepped  into 
the  cabinet,  and  in  just  three  minutes  stepped  out  freed 
from  every  knot.  The  audience  shouted  and  the  great  doc- 
tor, who  had  told  nearly  all  present  that  he  would  expose 
the  humbug,  was  invited  to  step  up  and  be  as  frank  in 
explaining  how  it  was  done  as  he  was  careful  in  tying  the 
silk.  <  hily  one  supremely  ignorant  would  have  so,  promptly 
attempted  an  explanation. 

If.-  stepped  forward  and  said:  "Ladies  and  gentle- 
men, the  girl  never  untied  herself.  This  I  know,  for  I  have 
experimented  with  this  subject  until  I  know  what"can  be 
done  with  electricity,  magnetism  and  will  power.  I  have 
three  times  the  electricity,  magnetism  and  will  power  of 
anyone  in  this  room.  She  brought  her  electricity  and 
magnetism  to  bear  upon  the  knots." 

I  then  said.  "If  that  is  true,  will  you  please  Btep  for- 
ward and  let  the  balance  of  the  committee  tie  you  as  you 
tied  the  girl,  and  you  step  into  this  cabinet  and  see  what 
your  will  power  can  <l 

He  stammered  and  said.  "No,  I  did  not  come  here  to 
give  an  exhibition;  T  have  nut  the  time  to  go  over  the 
ground    it    would    require." 


120  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  audience  cheered  and  said,  "Doc.  you  are  down. 
Go  on  with  your  show,  Mister." 

After  a  week's  absence  we  returned  to  Quincy,  where 
.we  gave  several  seances,  and  then  started  for  Pike  County. 
Arriving  at  the  town  of  Berry,  we  found  the  only  hall  in  the 
place  occupied  by  a  sleight  of  hand  performer,  who  I  will 
call  "Mr.  Brown."* 

Mr.  Brown  invited  us  to  visit  his  entertainment,  say- 
ing that  as  we  were  traveling  as  spiritualists,  he  would  omit 
from  his  program  his  exposure  of  the  rope-tying  of  the 
Davenport  boys. 

I  at  once  said,  "Not  on  our  account.  We  can  back 
everything  on  our  bills,  and  you  can  tie  her  if  you  want  to 
do  so."    He  was  quite  anxious  to  try  it. 

After  his  performance  he  came  to  our  hall  and  was 
permitted  to  tie  her.  He  did  it  very  effectively,  saying: 
"She  cannot  get  out  unless  someone  unties  her."  She 
stepped  into  a  darkened  room;  and,  in  exactly  two  and  a 
half  minutes,  stepped  out  and  said  to  Mr.  Brown,  "Is  this 
the  rope  with  which  you  tied  me?"  He  examined  it  and 
answered,  "Yes,  and  I  am  beaten.  You  beat  the  world  on 
that  line." 

After  the  performance  we  were  all  seated  together  in 
the  hotel  parlor  when  suddenly  she  looked  up  to  him  and 
said:  "Mr.  Brown,  I  see  a  spirit  man  standing  by  you." 
"Can  you  describe  him?"  he  asked.  "Yes,  he  says  he  is 
your  brother,"  she  replied.  She  stopped  a  few  moments 
and,  putting  her  hands  over  her  face,  ran  from  the  room. 

When  we  adjourned  to  our  own  apartment,  we  found 
her  reading.  I  said:  "Jennie  why  did  you  not  telLMr. 
Brown  more  about  his  brother?"  She  said :  "I  could  not, 
he  looked  so  badly.  His  throat  was  cut  from  ear  to  ear, 
and  he  said  his  brother  did  it  for  his  property." 


*NOTE — All  the  incidents  of  travel  with  Mr.  Williams* 
family  herein  related  are  furnished  by  Mr.  Williams,  written  by 
him  before  he  passed  over.  For  reasons  which  will  be  under- 
stood, in  the  following  incident  he  gives  the  name  of  this 
sleight-of-hand  performer,  who  is  still  alive,  .as  "Mr.  Brown." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  121 

After  this  night's  revelations  he  became  more  inter- 
ested in  us,  and  left,  after  learning  our  route  and  all  the 
particulars  of  Jennie's  parents  and  where  they  lived.  He 
went  to  Quincy  and  tried  to  effect  an  arrangement  for  her 
to  leave  me  and  go  with  him. 

When  Brown  left  Quincy.  he  came  directly  to  us.  He 
watched  his  opportunity  to  talk  with  Jennie  and  found  her 
an  excellent  hypnotic  subject,  and  at  once  took  advantage 
of  it.  Under  his  direction  and  suggestion,  she  showed  great 
hatred  towards  me.  lie  told  her  that  her  father  was  willing 
she  should  go  with  him  and  his  wife.  And  he  said  he 
would  give  her  one  hundred  dollars  per  week.  What  was  I 
to  do?  He  had  told  one  of  our  company  he  had  come  for 
her.  and  he  would  have  her.  if  he  had  to  go  through  h — 1 
and  steal  her  out  of  the  hack  door.  It  was  a  problem  for 
me.  how  to  free  her  from  his  influence.  A  thought  came  to 
me;  I  must  use  strategy.  I  said  to  him:  "We  are  billed  at 
Mount  Sterling  for  Monday  night  and  this  is  Saturday.  I 
propose  that  you  go  to  Mount  Sterling  and  bill  for  a  joint 
exhibition."  He  agreed  to  this  and  left,  but  not  until  he  had 
an  interview  with  Jennie.  The  next  morning  we  started 
for  Quincy.  She  fell  asleep  and  rode  sixteen  miles  before 
she  awoke.  Then  she  looked  around  and  inquired  the  di- 
rection of  .Mount  Sterling.  The  driver  answered.  "It  is 
north."  You  are  not  going  north."  she  said.  "I  know  it, 
but  I  sluill  turn  north  soon."  She  looked  at  him  steadily 
for  a  few  moments  and  then  exclaimed.  "How  are  you 
Mount  Sterling,"  and  began  crying.  "What  is  the  matter, 
little  girlf"  asked  the  driver. 

"Oh.  you  are  not  going  to  Mount  Sterling,  you  are 
going  home  and  1  must  go  to  Mount  Sterling.  Mr.  Brown 
made  me  lay  my  hand  on  the  Bible  and  Bwear  I  would 
meel  him  al  Mount  Sterling  on  Monday."  "So  you  shall," 
I  replied;  "if  he  has  not  lied  to  me;  if  he  has,  I  am  under 
no  obligation  to  carry  out  my  engagement  with  him."  Jen- 
nie then  said:  "He  did  li'\"  "I  low  do  you  know?"  1 
asked.     "Clarence  tells  me  so.  and   he  stands  lau'_rhin>_r  at 


122  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

me,  and  says:  'How  is  the  back  door  through  which  he 
was  going  to  get  you?'  " 

On  arriving  I  called  on  her  father  and  learned  that  his 
story  was  all  a  fabrication.  Jennie  persisted  in  saying  that 
Mr.  Brown  was  coming  to  Quincy. 

On  the  following  morning  a  boy  came  to  my  home  and 
said.  "Mr.  Jones  wishes  to  see  you  at  the  entrance  to  the 
park. ' '  I  said :  ' '  Tell  Mr.  Jones  I  am  at  home,  and  if  he 
wishes  to  see  me  he  will  find  me  here."  I  asked  a  member 
of  my  family  to  step  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  see  if 
"Jones"  was  "Brown."  He  did  so,  and  I  was  correct.  He 
was  there.  At  the  same  time  Jennie  was  in  the  basement 
dining  room  with  my  daughter,  and  all  at  once  she  started 
saying,  "They  are  calling  me.  I  must  go."  My  daughter 
called  to  her  mother  on  the  next  floor  to  look  out  for 
Jennie,  for  something  wras  wrong.  By  this  time  she  had 
gained  the  second  floor.  My  wife  immediately  locked  the 
doors,  and  for  three  days  and  nights  we  had  to  guard  her 
constantly. 

The  second  day  her  father  came  to  see  her,  and  said 
she  was  crazy,  that  she  always  had  the  devil  with  her,  and 
he  would  now  send  her  to  Jacksonville  to  the  insane  asylum. 
I  argued  with  him  that  she  was  not  crazy,  but  under 
hypnotic  influence,  and  to  leave  her  with  me  and  I  would 
bring  her  out  all  right.  He  insisted  on  sending  her  away, 
until  I  told  him  he  could  not,  for  she  was  mine  for  several 
months  yet,  by  a  written  contract. 

That  settled  it,  and  he  said  no  more.  I  told  him  to 
find  the  man  Brown  and  drive  him  from  the  town.  He 
did  so.  Brown  had  made  all  arrangements  to  kidnap  the 
girl. 

After  he  left  the  city  her  excitement  died  away.  We 
were  obliged  to  remain  at  home  for  three  weeks  before 
we  could  resume  our  work.  Our  trouble  was  not  ended, 
although  we  watched  her  constantly.  When  she  would  go 
out  and  was  in  danger,  her  control,  Kaolah,  would  bring 
her  home.  When  he  got  control  there  was  no  trouble  with 
either  mortal  or  spirit.    He  was  supreme.    Nevertheless,  she 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFK  123 

would  sometimes  take  the  reins  in  her  own  hands  and  would 
always  suffer  from  it. 

On  the  day  of  our  first  seance  after  this  trouble  she 
went  to  her  father's  house  in  the  afternoon  with  the  prom- 
ise that  she  would  return  in  time  for  the  seance  in  the  even- 
ing. This  was  on  Thursday  and  we  did  not  see  her  again 
until  Sunday  night  at  eight  o'clock. 

According  to  her  recollection  she  went  home,  and  from 
there  started  to  go  to  a  laundry.  To  shorten  the  distance, 
she  passed  into  an  alley,  intending  to  enter  the  baek  door. 
Some  one  came  up  behind  her  and  threw  something  over  her 
head.  In  a  few  seconds  a  buggy  drove  up,  and  she  was 
lifted  into  it.  That  was  the  last  she  remembered  until  she 
found  herself  confined  in  a  room.  but.  where,  she  could  not 
tell.  She  knew  she  was  a  prisoner  for  she  could  hear  men 
drinking  and  talking  in  the  next  room,  saying  they  must 
telegraph  to  him.  She  henrd  them  say  that  she  had  the 
devil  with  her.  and  they  could  not  keep  her  very  long,  and 
they  might  lose  their  thousand  dollars  if  she  got  away. 
Clarence,  her  guide,  told  her  not  to  eat  or  drink  anything 
they  might  bring  her  and  to  hold  herself  in  readiness  to  go 
when  they  should  say  the  word;  that  they  would  open  the 
door  and  take  her  home,  but  she  must  do  as  they  told  her. 

Sunday  night  we  found  her  lying  across  my  door-step 
in  an  unconscious  condition,  with  her  clothes  torn  and 
rent,  a  most  painful  looking  object.  When  she  was  brought 
to  c  isc  usi  ess,  she  remembered  the  direction  from  whence 
she  came.  Her  controls  brought  her  across  the  cemetery, 
which  was  enclosed  by  an  osage  orange  hedge  six  feet  in 

height,  and  across  a  ravine  which  it  would  have  been  im- 
sible  for  any  person  to  cross  in  the  night. 
This  we  verified,  as  T  went  baek  the  next  morning  and 
found  parts  of  her  wearing  apparel  where  they  had  caught 
on  the  brush.  Her  gloves,  hat.  scarf  and  clothing  told  the 
story  of  her  perilous  flight.     She  knew  the  direction,  and 

distinctly  remembered  crossing  the  cemetery.     Ber  guide! 

kept  her  in  a  straight  line  while  her  pursuers  were  obliged  to 

fro  around  bv  the  road. 


124  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

LOCATES    BURIED    MONEY. 

At  one  time  a  lady  came  for  a  sitting,  but  made  no 
statement  as  to  her  identity  or  what  she  wanted.  Jennie  at 
once  said :  ' '  Oh  yes,  I  see,  your  husband  is  dead ;  he  passed 
away  suddenly,  by  accident,  but  you  did  not  come  to  hear 
from  him.  It  is  for  something  lost,  or  it  seems  as  though  it 
was  hidden  away.  It  looks  like  money.  It  is  gold  and  there 
is  considerable  of  it  and  in  large  pieces."- 

' '  Can  you  tell  me  where  it  is  1 ' '  "  Yes  it  is  buried  in 
the  old  log  house  that  stands  in  this  direction  from  the 
house  in  which  you  live,"  pointing  in  the  direction  in  which 
it  stood.  "Go  to  the  southeast  corner  and  dig  and  you 
will  find  the  money. ' '  The  lady  went  home  and  found  it  as 
tlirected.  Her  husband  was  killed  by  walking  out  of  a 
second  story  window  in  the  night. 

At  Monmouth  and  Galesburg,  we  met  a  few  profes- 
sional men,  who,  with  no  knowledge  of  the  subject,  expected 
the  phenomena  to  be  produced  under  any  conditions  they 
might  prescribe.  On  the  second  night  of  our  engagement 
at  Monmouth,  a  committee  consisting  of  Dr.  Clark  and  Dr. 
Field,  of  Galesburg,  attended  our  seance.  They  had  been 
sent  to  engage  us  to  come  to  Galesburg  if  they  found  our 
performance  genuine.  We  had  rooms  at  the  American 
Hotel,  kept  at  the  time  by  Geo.  S.  Robinson,  a  fearless,  inde- 
pendent thinker,  where  we  held  our  meetings.  At  these 
seances  we  were  subjected  to  every  imaginable  test,  even 
to  putting  mittens  on  Jennie's  hands;  tacking  her  garments 
to  the  floor;  tieing  her  to  the  chair;  people  sitting  and 
holding  her  hands  remote  from  those  receiving  the  manifes- 
tations ;  putting  flour  and  a  certain  number  of  shot  in  each 
hand — all  done  with  only  one  thought  in  their  minds  that 
it  was  a  trick,  a  fraud. 

On  invitation  of  Dr.  Clark  and  Dr.  Field  we  went  to 
Galesburg  where  for  two  weeks  our  seances  were  satisfac- 
tory to  all,  excepting  to  a  few  who  thought  their  claim  to 
wisdom  and  smartness  would  be  questioned  unless  they 
could  detect  fraud. 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE  125 

No  two  cabinet  Beances  were  ever  alike.  No  manifesta- 
tion was  ever  duplicated,  excepting  the  untieing  of  the 
medium  by  her  controls.  With  such  an  endless  variety  of 
facts;  such  varied  and  unexpected  manifestations,  for,  if 

genuine,  it  is  the  unexpected  that  always  occurs,  with  such 
a  wide  range  of  manifestations  covering  nearly  every  expe- 
rience in  human  life,  the  proofs  were  astounding.  It  is  a 
wonder  to  me  that  this  child,  so  sensitive  and  self-sacrific- 

ing.  convinced  so  many  of  immortality,  and  the  return  of 
departed  spirits. 

THE   CONTROL   GIVES   HER   A    LESSON. 

On  our  first  night  at  Knoxville,  Illinois,  the  committee 
had  securely  bound  Jennie  and  placed  her  in  the  cabinet. 
For  full  thirty  minutes  we  waited.  She  did  not  come  out. 
What  could  be  the  trouble?  Such  a  thing  had  never 
occurred  in  all  her  experience.  The  committee  went  in 
and  found  her  just  as  they  had  left  her.  This  created 
quite  a  sensation.  The  committee  untied  her  and  asked 
her  what  was  the  matter.  She  said,  "Clarence  is  not 
here."  One  of  the  committee  stepped  forward  and  said 
it  was  one  of  the  best  proofs  to  him  that  the  young  lady 
did  not  untie  herself.  If  she  could  untie  herself,  she  would 
not  have  stood  in  the  cabinet  that  length  of  time. 

Just  before  we  had  finished  our  program.  Jennie  came 
to  me  and  said:  "Clarence  has  come,  and  if  they  will  lie 
me  again,  he  will  untie  me."  The  committee  readily 
responded  and  after  she  stepped  into  the  cabinet  we  could 
hear  her  asking  where  he   had   been   and   why   he   was   not 

attending  to  business. 

In  a  very  few  minutes  tic  rope  was  taken  off.  I 
Hsked  her  what   Clarence   meant.      She  said   that   the   sight 

before,  she  commenced  or  attempted  to  do  some  things  her- 
self, and  he  left  her  this  night  to  'each  her  a  lesson.  lie 
told  her  he  would  leave  her  if  she  attempted  such  a  thing 

again. 


12G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

A   SPIRITUALIST   DEMANDS   HIS   CONSTITUTIONAL   RIGHTS. 

At  Maquon,  I  was  arrested  for  not  having  a  license. 
The  gentleman  who  had  engaged  us  appeared  in  court  and 
said  it  was  his  religion,  and  the  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  gave  him  a  right  to  worship  according  to  the  dic- 
tates of  his  own  conscience.  This  was  his  revival  meeting. 
The  justice  answered.  "I  cannot  see  that  these  people  have 
broken  the  law,  and  if  I  fine  them,  I  must  also  fine  every 
minister  who  holds  his  meetings  of  whatever  name  they 
may  be."     I  was  discharged. 

KAOLAH    CURES   A    CRIPPLE. 

At  one  of  the  seances  held  at  Vermont,  Illinois,  a  man 
came'bn  crutches  having  one  leg  badly  crippled.  During 
the  seance,  the  Indian,  Kaolah,  came  to  him  and  said, 
' ' White  man  have  bad  leg.  I  cure  it. "  "I  wish  you  would 
try,"  said  the  man.  The  Indian  commenced  to  treat  the 
crippled  and  drawn-up  leg.  After  rubbing  it  some  little 
time,  as  all  in  the  seance  could  hear,  he  put  his  hand  on  the 
knee  and  taking  hold  of  the  ankle  with  the  other,  gave  a 
quick,  sharp  pull  and  instantly  grasped  the  knee  with  both 
hands  and  rubbed  down  towards  the  foot.  This  is  as  the 
man  told  the  story.     He  walked  away  without  his  crutches. 

At  a  seance  in  Canton,  Illinois,  held  at  Mr.  Porter's 
house,  the  controls  lifted  the  medium,  chair  and  all  to  the 
ceiling,  where  she  made  marks  with  a  red  and  blue  pencil. 
Seventeen  years  after  this  incident  Mr.  Porter  told  me  he 
had  never  permitted  the  marks  to  be  erased,  and  that  they 
should  remain  there  as  long  as  he  lived. 

Sometimes  the  spirits  would  themselves  do  this  mark- 
ing with  the  pencil.  On  one  of  these  occasions  while  hold- 
ing a  seance  at  the  house  of  Dr.  Boggs,  in  Havana,  Illinois, 
a  pencil  was  given  to  Clarence  with  the  request  to  mark  on 
the  ceiling  above.  Suddenly  the  pencil  hit  me  on  the  hand, 
and  I  knew  something  was  wrong.  The  pencil  had  been 
blackened.  On  examining  Jennie's  hands,  no  signs  of  the 
lamp  black  were  found,  although  the  ceiling  was  marked. 


CONTINUITY     OK     LAW     AND     LIFE  127 

in  this  case  the  pencil  was  blackened  by  the  gentleman  hav- 
ing charge  of  the  seance,  Bhowing  that  our  own  friends  were 
anxious  to  test  the  medium.  Had  she  not  been  trne  she 
would  have  been  detected  every  night,  for  we  gave  them 
every  possible  opportunity  to  satisfy  themselves. 

The  Indian.  Kaolah,  would  often  lay  his  large  hand 
upon  the  heads  of  those  present.  On  one  occasion,  a  man 
came  with  his  hair  full  of  lamp  black,  thinking  he  would 
surely  catch  the  medium.  The  Indian  rubbed  his  head 
good  and  hard,  and  did  not  forget  to  rub  his  face.  In  a 
few  minutes  the  gentleman  called  for  the  light.  He  then 
walked  up  to  her  and  said.  "Will  you  please  let  me  look  at 
your  hands?"  She  held  them  up,  and  he  exclaimed,  "I 
don't  understand  this;  there  is  not  a  bit  on  them."  He 
was  asked  what  he  expected  to  find.  This  caused  the  whole 
company  to  look  at  him.  He  was  greeted  with  a  roar  of 
laughter.  His  face  was  completely  covered  with  the  lamp 
black. 

At  one  of  the  seances  a  stranger  came.  As  soon  as  all 
were  seated  a  spirit  came  to  him  and  said:  "Please  give 
mi'  the  ring."  He  took  one  from  his  finger  and  said,  "Here 
it  is."  The  spirit  spoke  again,  and  said,  "Not  that  one, 
I  want  the  ring  your  mother  gave  you."  He  placed  the 
ring  back  on  the  finger  and  held  up  his  hand,  and  said, 
"Take  it  off,  please,  if  you  know  it."  That  particular  ring 
was  immediately  taken  from  his  finger.  He  said  there  was 
not  a  person  within  one  hundred  miles  who  knew  anything 
about  him. 

At  Havana.  Illinois,  and  at  one  other  place  we  had  ex- 
periences that  were  disastrous  to  the  medium.  We  could 
not  make  the  people  understand  that  nil  materialization  in 
nature  requires  negative  conditions:  neither  could  we  make 
them  understand  thai  darkness  is  one  of  the  essential  condi- 
tions for  these  phenomena. 

At  a  Beance  held  at  Dr.  Boggs',  in  Havana.  111.,  some- 
one fastened  a  parlor  match  in  one  end  of  the  pencil  and 
gave  it  to  the  medium.  When  the  control  lifted  her  up  to 
the  ceiling,  we  all  heard  her  mark.     When  she  turned  the 


128  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

pencil  and  drew  it  across  the  ceiling,  there  was  a  flash  of 
light,  and  the  sitters  all  saw  the  medium  and  the  chair  fall  to 
the  floor  with  a  scream  and  a  crash.  She  was  terribly 
injured  and  severely  bruised  in  her  back  and  sides,  and 
was  incapacitated  for  work  for  some  time.  Some  of  the  sit- 
ters were  very  indignant  and  there  was  considerable  talk 
of  legal  prosecution,  but  the  medium  would  not  hear  to- any 
retaliation.  She  would  always  suffer  rather  than  cause 
others  any  distress. 

While  holding  a  seance  at  Bath,  Illinois,  by  invitation, 
an  incident  occurred,  showing  that  the  controls  were  not 
always  on  the  watch  for  the  tricks  played  upon  us.  The 
people  had  heard  how  the  Indian  pulled  off  boots;  and  on 
this  particular  occasion,  they  all  wanted  their  boots  pulled 
off.  Some  of  the  boots  were  muddy,  some  were  smeared  with 
tar,  others  had  spurs,  and  one  had  a  row  of  sharp  nails 
five-eights  of  an  inch  long  completely  around  the  heel. 

As  soon  as  the  circle  was  formed  they  commenced  call- 
ing for  Kaolah  to  take  off  their  boots.  He  finally  took 
hold  of  one  and  pulled  it  about  half  way  off  and  left  it  and 
would  not  take  hold  of  it  again.  The  next  one  called  with 
the  same  result,  and  so  on,  until  five  had  been  started  and 
all  left.  The  sixth  one  called,  but  he  said,  ' '  I  will  not,  your 
boots  are  dirty." 

Then  came  the  boot  with  the  sharp  nails.  Kaolah  was 
not  in  any  hurry  to  take  hold  of  it,  but  at  last  he  caught 
hold  of  it  with  such  force  the  gentleman  was  obliged  to 
break  the  circle  and  hold  to  the  chair.  He  curled  his  foot 
up  to  prevent  him  from  taking  it  off.  He  told  me  after- 
wards, he  felt  sure,  if  Kaolah  got  it  off  he  would  have 
thrown  it  in  his  face.  He  said  he  would  have  given  ten 
dollars  if  he  had  not  tried  the  experiment,  for  he  saw  the 
instant  the  hand  touched  him,  it  was  not  the  medium's 
hand. 

When  the  spirit  let  go  of  the  boot,  he  gave  one  leap  to 
the  floor  that  made  the  whole  house  tremble,  and  spoke  so 


CONTINTITV     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  129 

as  to  be  distinctly  heard  by  all.  "White  man  one  big 
il-n  fool."* 

I  immediately  inquired  what  it  all  meant.  The  man 
said.  "It  is  Kaolah.  it  is  all  right."  I  replied,  "Do  not 
lay  anything  t<>  him  or  to  any  other  spirit  that  does  not 
belong  to  them. "     He  answered  that  it  was  all  right. 

Before  leaving  he  brought  the  boot  to  me  and  said, 
"I  will  make  you  a  present  of  this,  that  you  may  remem- 
ber this  place  and  have  it  to  show  through  what  tests  you 
have  passed." 

SATISFACTORY    TESTS. 

Our  next  visit  was  to  Princeton,  Illinois,  where  one  of 
the  sitters  brought  a  dark  lantern  into  the  seance,  and 
while  the  manifestation  was  at  its  best  he  turned  his  light 
on  the  chair  where  Jennie  was  supposed  to  sit,  expecting 
to  find  her  out  of  it.  but  there  she  sat  in  full  view  of  every- 
body. He  was  beaten  and  his  lantern  was  knocked  to  the 
floor  by  the  spirits.    This  stopped  all  further  manifestations. 

After  we  left  the  Beance,  a  minister  and  some  of  the 
others  talked  it  over,  and  wanted  to  come  again.  The 
minister  said,  "We  will  catch  them  yet.  if  they  were  too 
smart  for  us  this  time." 

I  told  hi  in  they  would  have  to  comply  with  essential 
conditions,  if  they  came.  I  told  them  darkness  was  neces- 
sary, and  they  must  not  produce  any  sudden  light  as  the 
shock,  or  change,  was  disastrous  to  the  medium.  I  told 
them  I  would  place  the  medium  where  they  would  know 
whether  she  was  up  or  not.     This  pleased  them. 


•NOTE — This  incident  so  disgusted  Kaolah  that  he  left  the 
seance.  The  medium  did  not  Bee  him  again  for  Beveral  years. 
When  he  returned  Bhe  hardly  recognized  him.  so  much  was  he 
improved  in  dress,  appearance,  deportment  and  speech.  He 
never  a^ain  left  the  medium,  and  has  boon  her  constant  pro- 
tector ever  since.  His  services  have  been  inestimable  in  all 
of  indisposition  and  in  the  many  accidents  that  have  so 
persistently  attended  her.  Very  many  times  he  saved  her 
lift-  and  caused  her  to  recover  from  illness  in  the  most  remark- 
aide  and  surprising  manner.  In  some  instances  these  interpo- 
sition of  his  skill  and  power  have  been  prompt  and  instan- 
taneous 

—5 


130  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  seance  was  held,  and,  at  the  given  time,  she  turned 
and  said,  "Here  Mr.  Chrystopher  put  your  feet  on  mine," 
and  she  placed  her  hands  on  his.  "Now,"  said  he,  "If  we 
receive  the  manifestations,  I  can  tell  you  what  it  is,"  He 
had  hardly  spoken  when  a  spirit  took  off  his  glasses.  He 
said  :  ' '  Some  one  has  my  glasses. ' '  Mr.  Reed,  ten  feet 
from  him,  spoke  quickly,  saying,  "I  have  them."  I  then 
asked :  ' '  Mr.  Reed,  were  those  glasses  thrown  at  you  ? ' ' 
"No,  sir,  was  the  reply,  "a.  small  hand  opened  mine  and 
placed  them  in,  and  closed  my  hand  over  them." 

' '  Now,  Mr.  Chrystopher, ' '  I  said,  ' '  are  you  holding  the 
medium's  hands?"  He  answered,  "I  have  both  of  her 
hands  at  this  moment."  Mr.  Reed  said,  "Some  one  has  my 
store  key."     Mr.  Chrystopher  said:     "I  have  it." 

I  asked  him  how  it  came  to  him,  and  if  he  still  held 
the  medium's  hands.  He  answered  as  before.  At  this  mo- 
ment, Mr.  Reed  said :  ' '  Some  one  is  taking  off  my  neck- 
tie."  Instantly  Mr.  Chrystopher  said,  "I  have  it,  they 
have  hung  it  on  my  little  linger."  I  said:  "Who  placed 
it  there?"  He  replied,  "I  do  not  know;  and  if  there  is 
not  some  one  of  you  up  and  doing  this,  I  am  beaten. ' ' 

"Have  you  hold  of  the  medium?'"  I  asked,  and  at  the 
same  time  I  struck  a  match.  Everything  was  all  right,  and 
everybody  in  their  proper  place. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "Miss  Jennie,  you  can  sit  back  for 
it  is  an  uncomfortable  position  for  you,  and  I  am  satisfied 
that  you  do  not  do  it." 

I  asked  him  if  he  would  say  so  on  the  street  the  next 
day ;  he  said  he  would  and  so  he  did.  I  then  said  to  Clar- 
ence, "I  want  you  to  take  this  watch  and  chain,  lay  it  on 
top  of  the  tambourine  and  carry  it  fully  around  the  cir- 
cle, holding  and  shaking  it  over  the  lap  of  each  one  long 
enough  for  them  to  put  their  feet  out  in  front  and  to  feel 
around,  above  and  below  them,  and  let  them  see  if  they  can 
find  anyone  holding  the  tambourine.  This  was  done  and 
they  could  not  discover  anybody  near  them.  The  hands 
that  held  the  tambourine  were  not  attached  to  any  physi- 
cal, or  materialized  body. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  131 

A    HYPNOTIST    AGAIN    MAKES   TROUBLE. 

Our  next  place  was  Peru,  Illinois.  A  hypnotist  here 
again  made  us  trouble.     It  must  be  remembered  that  she 

was  young  and  that  her  controls  had  not  the  experience 
they  acquired  in  later  years,  and  could  not  defy  these  opera- 
tors as  they  did  later.  This  man  had  drawn  her  from  her 
seat,  and  hypnotically  held  her  until  I  struck  a  match. 

To  convince  all  present  of  the  fact,  I  took  her  by  the 
shoulder,  turned  her  away  from  him  and  let  her  go.  She 
went  back  to  him  like  the  bound  of  a  rubber  ball. 

This  satisfied  all  in  the  seance  of  the  law  that  controlled 
her.  She  felt  much  hurt  over  this  incident,  and  would  not 
sit  again,  and  said  she  would  never  hold  another  seance 
while  she  lived,  and  we  could  not  prevail  on  her  to  try 
again.  I  was  obliged  to  abandon  further  performances.  I 
had  become  tired  of  the  fight  against  religious  bigotry, 
ignorance  and  stupidity;  tired  of  trying  to  convince  people 
who  would  not  accept  the  evidence  of  their'  own  senses,  who 
could  not  think,  who  were  not  mentally  qualified  to  investi- 
gate anything  beyond  their  five  senses,  who  were  neither 
fair  nor  honest,  and  whose  vanity  was  always  a  plus 
quantity. 

She,  however,  went  bravely  forward  to  greater  victories, 
many  times  weary  unto  death,  yet  she  has  never  fal- 
tered. Under  all  the  most  unreasonable  demands  of  the 
skeptical  she  was  always  cheerful,  obliging  and  charitable. 

she  would  deny  herself  actual  necessities  to  help  the  sick 
and  tie-  unfortunate.     I  remember  of  her  oing  to  me  at 

one  time  and  Baying,  "Father.  I  know  yon  do  not  owe  me 
any  money,  but  I  want  a  dollar."  T  insisted  on  her  telling 
me  for  what  she  wanted  it.  as  1  paid  all  her  bills.  She  told 
me  she  wanted  il  for  a  pool-,  sick  woman.  She  had  Been  a 
little,  poorly  clad  boy  carrying  a  chicken  to  town,  and  had 
Stopped  him  ami  learned  his  story.  His  mother  was  sick 
and  had  sent  the  little  fellow  to  town  with  the  last  and  only 
thing  they  had  that  could  be  sold  for  money.  I  gave  her 
the  dollar  and  then  watched  her.     Never  was  ;t  child  more 


132  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

delighted.  She  hastened  to  the  little  fellow  and  told  him  to 
take  the  chicken  back  to  his  sick  mother,  with  instructions 
to  cook  it  for  her.  With  the  dollar  she  bought  medicine 
and  delicacies  for  the  sick  woman. 

All  the  money  she  could  earn  went  in  these  charitable 
ways,  when  she  hardly  had  suitable  clothing  for  herself. 
She  seemed  to  find  more  cases  of  deserving  charity  than  I 
ever  supposed  existed,  or  else  these  cases  were  attracted  to 
her  by  some  occult  law  beyond  my  comprehension.  Her 
cheerfulness  under  all  circumstances  was  the  marvel  of 
everyone.  It  seemed  so  natural  and  a  part  of  her  very 
existence.  She  made  every  one  about  her  happy  and  was 
herself  most  happy  in  giving  to  others,  and  in  helping  the 
unfortunate.  She  did  not  have  a  selfish  thought.  Lessons  of 
charity  and  unselfishness  were  constantly  impressed  upon 
her  by  her  guides  and  teachers.  Very  often,  at  night,  we 
could  hear  them  instructing  her  and  explaining  these  moral 
lessons,  urging  her  to  the  exercise  of  greater  patience  and 
courtesy  to  the  public,  and  more  attentive  complaisance  to 
friends  and  family.  These  lessons— these  thoughts  could 
but  form  a  character  such  as  Shakespeare  pictures : 

And  then  I  stole  all  courtesy  from  Heav'n, 

And  aress'd  myself  in  such  humility. 

That  I  did  pluck  allegiance  from  men's  hearts. 

I  write  these  early  experiences  as  the  light  of  the  twen- 
tieth century  commences  to  illumine  the  ecclesiastical 
tyranny,  scientific  dogma  and  public  prejudice  that  met  us 
at  every  step  in  presenting  the  spirit  phenomena. 

I  have  related  only  a  fewT  of  the  facts  in  the  early  life 
of  this  child-medium,  now  grown  to  womanhood,  and  to 
whom  all  spiritualists  point  with  pride,  conscious  that  she 
has  never  trailed  in  the  dust  the  glorious  banner  of  spirit- 
ualism on  which  she  has  helped  to  write  God's  last  and  best 
revelation  of  immortality  to  His  people.  She  has  never 
hesitated  or  failed  to  proclaim  the  truths,  precepts  and 
instructions  received  by  her  from  the  spirit  world.  I  have 
watched  her  work  for  many,  very  many  years,  and  I  know 


CONTIXUTY     OF     LAW      AND     LIFE.  133 

thai  few,  if  any,  have  done  as  much  to  demonstrate  the 
great  truth  of  immortality,  and  to  establish  unquestioned 
proof  of  the  continuity  of  existence  hereafter. 

A.  H.  Williams, 
Chicago,  Illinois,  1886. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Returning  home  from  Peru,  Jennie,  or  "Maud 
Eugenia,"  as  she  chose  to  be  called,  again  commenced  her 
work  among  the  poor  people.  One  of  her  first  cures  was 
when  the  spirit  of  a  beautiful  boy,  apparently  about  eleven 
years  old,  came  to  her  after  midnight,  weeping,  and  said: 
"My  grandma  said  you  cau  see  spirits."  She  told  him  she 
could  sometimes  see  them.  "AA7on't  you  come  with  me  to 
my  mama  ?  She  is  very  sick. ' '  She  hastily  dressed  and 
went  as  directed,  and  found  a  woman  by  the  name  of  Eliza 
Ray  in  a  mere  hovel,  dying,  to  all  outward  appearances.  No 
one  was  near  but  the  angels  who  had  sent  for  her. 

She  began  to  rub  the  woman,  when  a  control  took  pos- 
session of  her  and  continued  the  treatment,  and,  at  the  same 
time  talked  and  encouraged  the  distressed  woman  whose 
husband  had  deserted  her.  Imagine  her  joy  when  she  was 
told  that  it  was  her  Robert— her  so-called  dead  child— that 
had  saved  her  life;  that  it  was  he  who  brought  this  girl 
from  another  part  of  the  city  to  administer  to  her  soul  as 
well  as  body.  The  medium  continued  to  help  her  until 
her  strength  and  health  were  restored  sufficiently  to  enable 
her  to  resume  her  labor,  when  she  told  to  the  world  her 
wonderful  recovery. 

"Try  the  spirits  and  see  whether  they  are  of  God." 
This  we  are  commanded  to  do  by  the  good  Apostle  Paul. 
Yet  the  church  people  blindly  close  their  eyes  to  this  won- 
drous truth  that,  like  a  golden  benediction,  rests  upon  the 
hearts  and  in  the  souls,  of  those  knowing  and  accepting 
this  divine  ministry  of  guardian  angels— these  evangels  of 
truth.  The  grand  courage  of  sincere  convictions,  accepted 
and  boldly  stated,  is  rarer  than  the  choicest  jewels. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  135 

Very  few  of  tli<'  Bo-called  great  men  are  brave  enough 

to  exhibit  this  courage.  If  possessing  it,  they  are 
not  brave  enough  to  avow  their  convictions.  There 
have  been,  all  along  down  the  ages,  a  few  brave 
souls  who  have  dared  to  think  and  act  and  move 
the  wheels  of  progress;  and.  like  our  child-medium, 
have  paid  the  penalty  for  their  courage.  The  des- 
tiny of  these  thinkers  has  always  been  beyond  their  con- 
trol. They  have  built  palaces  of  light  and  delight  in 
which  to  dwell,  while  others,  out  of  the  same  material,  have 
built  bouses,  or  intellectual  bevels,  and  must  thus  remain 
until  the  master-workman  can  make  them  something  else. 

In  the  case  of  our  medium,  the  moulding  and  changing 
process  seemed  hard  and  grievous  to  bear.  Possibly  it  was 
best.  They  left  nothing  undone,  and  overlooked  nothing. 
Recognizing  the  old  Roman  proverb — Mens  Sana  in  Qoir- 
porr  Sano,  they  eared  for  her  physical  health  so  well  that 
she  was  never  sick  and  never  required  the  services  of  a  phy- 
sician. She  never  suffered  from  aches  or  pains  like  other 
people:  and,  so  perfectly  adjusted  were  the  magnetic  forces 
that  she  seemed  impervious  to  disease.  Seemingly,  not  for 
a  moment  was  this  watchful  care  absent.  Tims  equipped 
and  attended,  what  might  not  a  spirit  accomplish  in  the 
Master's  vineyard.'  With  ;i  tender  heart,  and  a  most  sensi- 
tive conscience— God's  best  gifts  to  his  workers— she  was 
sen'   out   into  the  stern  realities  of  life  to  trace  upon  the 

heatts  of  others  the  beautiful  imagery  from  tl ther  side 

of  life,  where  spirit   is  measured,  not   by  wealth  OT  station. 

but  by  spiritual  worth  and  merit,  by  its  beauty,  grace  and 

gentleness— by    the    g 1    it    has    done,    not    to    itself,    but 

to  others. 

When  a  mere  child,  ami  later  in  life  when  almost  blind, 

they  si mpletely   Controlled    her  destiny,    her  habits   and 

her  appetites,  that  she  seldom  evinced  much,  if  any.  inter- 
est in  what  the  years  would  produce.  They  often  told  her 
and  her  family  that  some  day  the  hearts  of  the  earnest, 
good  and  true  would  open  gratefully  and  receive  these  evi- 
dences then  so  greatly  misunderstood  and  misapplied. 


13G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

VISITS  ST.   LOUIS,   MISSOURI. 

In  1867,  Maud  was  called  to  St.  Louis  where  she  met 
Mr.  Charles  Levey,  who  lived  at  the  Southern  Hotel  and  who 
received  many  beautiful  and  striking  evidences  through  her 
mediumship.  All  of  his  past  history  was  revealed.  They 
predicted  the  death  of  two  relatives  near  and  dear  to  him. 
He  was  told  of  certain  financial  changes  and  misunder- 
standings, and  the  date  he  would  pass  to  spirit  life. 

One  day  he  called  with  a  slate  and  asked  the  medium 
to  hold  it  under  the  table  with  him.  They  sat  some  five  or 
ten  minutes  without  obtaining  the  desired  result.  Finally  an 
independent  voice  spoke  loud  and  distinctly,  saying :  ' '  Put 
the  slate  upon  a  chair,  take  your  coat  and  put  over  it." 
This  he  did  immediately.  The  result  was  a  long  and  beau- 
tifully written  communication  from  a  friend  of  whom  he 
had  not  heard  or  seen  for  years,  and  did  not  know  he  was 
dead.  He  later  verified  the  fact  of  this  friend's  death. 
The  writing  was  unlike  his  own  or  the  medium's.  The 
sentiment  expressed  in  the  communication  was  most  exquis- 
itely  delicate,  and  the  writing  cursive  and  graceful.  Each 
heard  the  scratch  of  the  pencil  as  it  moved  swiftly  across 
the  slate.  They  could  hear  the  crossing  of  the  "t's"  and  the 
dotting  of  the  "i's."  This  was  all  done  in  broad  daylight. 
This  proved  to  him  that  this  force  was  intelligent,  accu- 
rate and  personal. 

A   NOTED    CHARACTER. 

Old  Pappy  Price,  of  renown  in  the  South  as  a  gen- 
eral, often  made  his  presence  known  to  his  friends  and 
relatives.  At  one  time  while  the  medium  was  securely  fas- 
tened to  an  iron  bar  in  the  cabinet  in  Mr.  J.  J.  Outley's 
Gallery  of  Fine  Arts  in  St.  Louis,  the  cabinet  curtain  parted 
and  Mr.  Price  came  into  view.  One  of  the  family  was 
present  and  said,  "If  that  is  you,  make  your  presence 
known  by  some  positive  sign,  you  know  what."  He  retired 
into  the  cabinet  and  came  out  again  with  his  trousers  rolled 
up  above  his  knee,  exposing  a  wound  that  Tiad  troubled 
him  greatly  while  in  earth  life. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  131 

One  time  standing  in  the  doorway  Leading  from  the 
street  to  Mr.  Outley's  gallery,  a  stranger  passed  by.  She 
called  his  name,  "John  Canfield!"  He  turned  and  looked 
quickly  to  Bee  from  whence  the  call  came,    sin-  called  again. 

"Who  speaks!"  he  almost  gasped,  for  he  recognized 
the  voice  of  his  dead  wife.  This  call,  coming  from  the  lips 
of  this  girl,  whose  face  he  had  never  before  seen,  startled 
him.     Hi-  went  back  and  said.  "Did  you  call  m< 

The  voice  said.  "John,  you  have  grown  heartsick  trying 
to  find  our  Charley,  lie  is  in  the  poorhouse,"  naming  the 
street  and  house.  "I  am  Telia,  your  wife.  dead,  yet  strang- 
est of  all  things,  I  see  and  hear  you  and  know  that  I  am  not 
dead;  your  brother  Charley  is  with  me." 

With  a  pass  or  two  over  her  face  the  influence  was 
gone  and  the  mystery  solved.  She  told  him  her  name  and 
that  she  was  a  medium.  lie  said  he  would  test  the  matter 
and  see  if  he  could  find  the  boy.  He  had  been  separated 
from  them  during  the  three  years  he  had  been  a  soldier. 
While  he  was  absent  and  in  prison  his  wife  died.  He  had 
searched  far  and  wide  for  the  boy.  He  investigated,  as  he 
promised,  and  found  him  just  as  he  had  been  told. 

A  few  nights  after  this,  while  in  the  cabinet,  spirits 
materialized  in  full  form  and  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the 
cabinet  and  beckoned  with  white  hands  for  their  loved  ones 
present  to  approach.  .Mrs.  Strong  came  forward  after  the 
voice  had  Boftly  called  her.  There  stood  her  loved  hus- 
band, who  had  but  recently  departed  this  life.  He  told  her 
of  private  matters  of  great  interest  and  of  papers  mislaid, 
both  useful  and  valuable.  They  were  found,  and  the  truth 
was  gladly  made  known.  Neither  creeds  nor  conservatism 
prevented  this  woman's  honest  acknowledgement 

Before  the  medium  left  th<>  cabinet  upon  this  memor- 
able evening,  more  than  twenty  skeptics  were  convinced. 
Some  said:  "Surely  human  ingenuity  cannot  accomplish 
these  wonderful  and  mosl  convincing  results."  The  iden- 
tity of  each  was  different  and  positive.    <  me  spirit  spoke 

German,  another  French,  and   with  many  words  each  con- 


138  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

versed  with   their  friends  present,  using  their  respective 
languages,  while,  the  medium  spoke  only  English. 

From  St.  Louis  she  was  called  to  New  Boston,  Illinois. 
She  went  there  with  the  Reverend  A.  J.  Fishback,  a  noble- 
hearted  convert  to  spiritualism,  convinced  by  proofs  that 
he  could  not  argue  away  or  deny.  He  did  not  even  try  to 
deny  them  as  many  do  who  fear  it  might  bring  shame  and 
disgrace  to  admit  the  truths  of  this  God-given  philosophy. 

A  VENTRILOQUIST  GIVES  HIS   OPINION. 

While  in  New  Boston  she  was  accused  of  being  a  ven- 
triloquist, and  was  called  "the  girl  with  many  voices."  At 
this  place  the  enterprising  and  wide-awake  skeptics  secured, 
without  the  medium's  knowledge,  the  services  of  a  cele- 
brated ventriloquist,  by  the  name  of  Biggs,  to  witness  these 
manifestations.  He  came  after  his  entertainment  was  con- 
cluded. For  the  first  few  moments,  he  sat  quietly,  then  he 
spoke  to  those  who  had  invited  him,  and  said,  "Are  those 
the  voices  on  which  you  wished  my  opinion?"  Someone 
whispered,  "Yes." 

"Well,"  he  said,  "let  them  come  from  whom  they  may, 
or  from  what,  they  have  no  bodies  attached  to  them.  It  is 
not  ventriloquism."  The  voices  then  addressed  him- and  he 
exclaimed,  "I  don't  know  what  it  is,  but  it  is  not  the  girl, 
of  that  I  am  certain." 

The  manifestations  at  these  public  seances  were  never 
twice  alike,  which  fact  perplexed  the  skeptics.  The  unbe- 
lievers and  bigots  were  all  against  her.  All  were  trying  to 
find  a  theory  by  which  they  might  explain  the  things  that 
confounded  all  the  teachings  of  the  past. 

VISITS  WISCONSIN. 

Froo  New  Boston  our  medium  went  to  Black  Earth, 
Wisconsin,  where  she  again  encountered  S.  P.  Leland  who 
was  still  traveling  and  pretending  to  expose  spiritualism. 
He  had  the  same  old  bills  stating  that  he  could  duplicate 
everything  done  through  mediums.    Among  the  names  men- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  L39 

tinned  on  his  bills,  with  other  well  known  mediums,  was  our 

medium's  name.  At  her  suggestion  the  spiritualists  sent 
to  Monmouth,  Illinois,  for  copies  of  papers  lie  had  been 
forced  to  sign  wherein  lie  acknowledged  that  he  had  falsely- 
vilified  respectable  people.    <>n  receipt  of  these  papers  the 

people  broke  up  his  meeting  and  he  took  the  first  train  out 
of  town. 

Leaving  Black  Earth  she  went  to  the  honies  of  Mr. 
Larkin  and  Mrs.  William  Warren  of  Madison,  the  capital 
of  the  state,  where  she  held  a  test  seance  for  Governor  Fair- 
child  and  a  company  of  investigators.  At  this  seance  a 
committee  of  ladies  was  selected  to  hold  the  medium's 
hands,  to  place  their  feet  upon  her  feet  at  the  same  time 
and  to  otherwise  give  their  undivided  attention  to  the 
medium  while  the  others  noted  the  phenomena. 

At  this  seance  beautiful  lights  filled  the  room  with  a 
soft  effulgent  glow  which,  at  times,  made  it  possible  for 
those  present  t<>  see  each  other.  Many  voices  Spoke,  at  the 
same  time  the  medium's  voice  was  heard  describing  for 
others  in  the  circle.  Forms  were  seen  in  the  radiance  that, 
at  times,  filled  the  room.  Sometimes  these  forms  were  tangi- 
ble and  at  other  times  seemed  to  be  etherealizations.  The 
committee  repeatedly  exclaimed,  "It  is  not  the  medium. 
We  have  her  hands  and  feet.  She  is  here  by  us."  It  was 
a  new  experience  to  these  highly  intelligent  ladies  and 
centlemen. 

What  was  it?  How  was  it?  From  whence  this  al] 
-  potent,  magical,  mysterious  power  that  takes  upon  itself  in 
such  solid  possession  this  matter  and  form,  such  positive 
individuality,  separate  and  distinct  from  the  girl  who 
seemed  so  utterly  incapacitated  by  the  conditions  under 
which  she  was  being  held  and  bj'  her  youth  and  inexperi- 
ence in  life,  to  produce  these  things  1 

Tf  these  men  of  science  failed  to  answer,  failed  to  under- 
stand the  great,  eternal,  vibrative  laws;  if  they  could  not 
grasp  and  solve  the  problem,  why  should  they  do1  accept  the 
only  hypothesis  thai  explains  <///  these  facts?  The  intelli- 
gence apparent  in  these  fads  Could  Q01  he  attributed  to  this 


140  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

young,  fifteen-year-old  medium,  whose  soul  had  scarcely 
awakened  to  the  full  magnitude  of  her  mission.  She  had 
never  been  trained  in  school  or  seminary  to  delve  into  the 
mysteries  of  science,  or  reach  up  into  the  eternal,  living  cur- 
rents of  ceaseless  life  for  these  inexplicable  mysteries.  She 
Thought  them  only  very  natural,  as  we  think  of  the  things 
that  have  always  been  with  us. 

Man  in  the  acquisition  of  knowledge,  should  aim  to 
know  something  of  this  spiritual  intelligence  and  power.  It 
is  the  paramount  force  of  the  universe.  It  reigns  supreme 
throughout  all  the  eons  of  eternity.  It  is  well  to  know 
something  of  this  force  and  its  laws — to  know  at  this  point 
in  your  experience  for  fear  you  may  be  on  the  wrong 
track,  headed  the  wrong  way,  speeding  into  disaster  and 
losing  valuable  time.  The  maxim,  ' '  Know  thyself, ' '  remains 
forever  a  dead  letter  to  him  who  knows  nothing  of  the  laws 
and  forces  of  the  spirit  world.  Many  wondered  how  their 
secret  lives,  their  past  and  forgotten  thoughts  and  acts  were 
so  minutely  told ;  and,  unwilling  to  accept  the  only  natural, 
logical  explanation,  they  wandered  into  hazy,  far-fetched 
theories  and  became  lost  in  metaphysical  absurdities. 

Some  of  these  scientists,  wishing  to  deny  the  real  cause, 
disputed  the  only  logical  theory  and  attempted  to  refer  ail 
these  phenomena  to  involuntary  cerebral  action —  to  a 
subliminal  self  which  they  confidently  asserted,  without  any 
reasonable  warrant  for  such  assertion — knows  everything! 
Stupendous  intelligence  confined  in  a  physical  body!  No 
necessity  for  reincarnation — no  use  for  progression —  a 
most  satisfactory  affirmation !  Too  bad  that  it  is  not  true ! 
Why  take  refuge  in  a  theory  more  difficult  to  explain  than 
the  one  you  seek  to  contradict1? 

There  are  a  few  who,  recognizing  only  a  small  part  of 
the  phenomena,  claim  that  for  every  thought  there  is  a 
brain  cell  upon  which  blind  force  acts  to  produce  these 
results.  A  very  happy  thought  on  the  part  of  inanimate 
atoms  and  ions  to  arrange  themselves  in  the  form  of  brain 
cells  for  the  manifestation  of  blind  force ! 

The  church  people,  more  logical,  attribute  it  to  the 


CONTINUITY     OK     LAW     AND     LIFE.  141 

devil.  The  agnostic  creeps  in  behind  his  "I  don'1  know," 
afraid  to  think,  for  fear  he  may  know,  and  thus  lose  his 
classification. 

The  scientist  asks  for  more  time  to  decide,  and  con- 
tinues to  look  with  the  aid  of  his  microscope,  his  scalpel 
and  his  chemical  resolvents  for  this  something  which  works 
out  these  hidden  and  marvelous  results. 

They  are  all  Looking  in  the  wrong  direction  and  search- 
ing  too  far  away.  Close  beside  them  is  one  who  attends 
them  most.  Ever  present  with  them  is  one  who  guards  and 
guides  their  wandering  footsteps,  one  who  is  in  close  sym- 
pathy with  their  mental  and  physical  needs,  who  measures 
the  intensity  of  every  thought,  and  gauges  every  motion. 
This  guardian  angel,  who  has  been  "given  charge  concern- 
ing  thee."  turns  back  life's  many  pages  and  permits  the 
things  meet  for  you  to  know  to  be  communicated  to  you. 
Other  attendants  permit  the  telling  of  incidents  known  to 
them,  but  never  known  to  you,  thus  removing  the  solution 
beyond  telepathy  and  all  illogical  theories.  We  live;  and, 
living,  must  continue  to  live,  with  no  chance  to  escape  from 
the  consequences  of  the  thoughts  and  acts  stamped  upon 
the  program  of  our  eternal  lives. 

SAVED    FROM    THE    MACHINATIONS    OF    AN    UNPRINCIPLED 
WOMAN. 

An  incident,  showing  the  methods  used  by  spirit  attend- 
ants to  protect  their  instruments,  occurred  at  Ripon,  Wis- 
consin, where  Maud  had  been  engaged  to  hold  cabinet 
seances.  She  was  obliged  to  u'o  to  the  hotel  unattended.  At 
this  hotel  she  wns  threatened  with  serious  harm  from  an 
unprincipled  fellow  who  had  attended  her  seance  and  had 
learned  that  she  was  at  the  hotel  alone.  She  did  not  know 
her  real   danger,  y.  t  she  was  fretted  ami  vexed  beyond 

measure  at  her  dilemma. 

The  first  night,  after  arriving  late,  she  found  that  the 
window  sash  in  her  room  had  been  removed.  It  was  too 
late  to  make  a  change,  or  enter  a  protest,  so  she  went  into 
the  parlor  and  s;it   op  until  daylight.     She  complained  to 


142  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

the  kind-hearted  landlady,  who  gave  her  a  safe  room, 
where  she  could  not  be  molested.  She  knew  not,  under 
the  circumstances,  what  to  do,  and  had  almost  wept  her- 
self sick,  when  there  came  a  rap'  upon  her  door,  which 
was  securely  locked. 

She  asked,  "Who  is  there?"  A  familiar  and  kindly 
voice  said,  "Mrs.  Martin."  The  angels  guiding  her  inex- 
perienced footsteps  had  not  forgotten  her  in  her  sore  dis- 
tress and  need  of  a  true  friend. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Andrew  W.  Martin,  of  Fondulac,  had 
been  warned  by  a  holy  angel,  that  their  child,  as  they 
called  her,  was  in  danger.  They  forthwith  drove  to  Ripon. 
The  situation  was  told  to  them  and  a  plan  was  laid  to 
escape.  Immediately  after  the  entertainment,  she  was  to 
slip  out  through  the  hall,  and  meet  them  outside  at  a  stated 
place,  where,  with  her  trunk  securely  strapped  on  behind 
the  buggy,  they  would  start  immediately  for  Fondulac. 
All  this  was  carefully  carried  out  and  they  went  joyfully  on 
their  homeward  way,  having  started  about  half  past  nine 
o  'clock.  They  had  not  driven  many  miles  before  the  Indian, 
Kaolah,  seized  the  bridle  and  turned  the  horse  from  idie 
main  road  into  a  lane  leading  into  a  farm  yard.  Scarcely 
had  they  reached  this  place  when  they  were  told  to  listen. 
They  could  hear  the  voices  of  officers  who  were  sent  !,o 
bring  back  the  fugitive.  The  party  sending  the  officers 
claimed  she  had  been  abducted.  After  the  officers  passed 
they  were  bidden  to  drive  on  again.  They  were  thus 
guarded  all  the  way  home  by  many  white-robed  forms 
watching  to  ward  off  danger. 

Arriving  safely  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morning,  they 
retired.  Daylight  brought  the  officers,  who  demanded  the 
girl.  Mr.  Martin  refused  to  let  them  take  her  from  the 
shelter  of  his  home,  where  he  said  she  should  remain. 
When  he  explained  the  situation  to  them  they  desisted. 
They  said,  "You  did  not  have  much  the  start  of  us  and  we 
were  on  fleet-footed  horses,  how  was  it  we  did  not  overtake 
you?"  They  were  told  how  the  Indian  had  taken  the 
bridle,  even  against  their  will,  and  led  them  to  a  place  of 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  143 

safety  at  the  time  they  passed.  This  both  frightened  and 
surprised  them. 

A  short  distance  from  Fondulac  <>n  the  Greenbush  road 

lived  .Mr.  Robert  Wilson,  his  wife  and  daughter  .Minnie. 
While  visiting  at  the  home  of  these  excellent  people  a  new 
development  com nieiiced— that  of  manifesting  in  the  light. 
Voices  would  be  heard,  furniture  moved,  doors  opened  and 
dosed,  and  musical  instruments  played.  Very  often  these 
manifestations  were  better  and  more  pronounced  than  those 
iirring  in  the  dark. 

Among  those  present  and  witnessing  these  manifesta- 
tions, in  addition  to  the  family  were:  Mr.  Fayette  Gillett, 
George  Pflegher  ami  Mr.  Patley. 

One  Sunday  as  the  medium  sat  upon  the  sofa  with  the 
daughter,  Minnie,  a  guitar,  standing  some  little  distance 
away  in  the  corner  of  the  room,  began  to  move  toward  them. 
Finally  it  quietly  slid  under  the  sofa  upon  which  they 
sat.  The  strings  commenced  to  vibrate.  Presently  it 
moved  out  into  the  middle  of  the  floor  still  playing.  Some 
of  the  company,  who  had  just  come  in,  tried  to  hold  the 
guitar  under  the  sofa,  but  like  a  thing  of  life,  it  persisted 
in  remaining  on  the  outside,  on  the  floor,  playing  and  rap- 
pin--  intelligent  answers  to  questions,  and  giving  names  of 
an  invisible  company,  many  of  whom  were  relatives  of 
those  present.  When  near  the  close  of  this  unexpected 
sean.e.  a  small,  white  hand  reached  out  from  under  the 
sofa,  which  was  shaded  a  little  from  the  light,  and  trrasped 
the  instrument  and  took  it  under  the  sofa,  at  the  same  time 
{.laying  softly  and  sweetly  as  the  strings  vibrated  to  the 
touch  of  invisible  fingers.  It  moved  restlessly  at  times, 
almost  violently  at  others,  ami  then  Bounded  as  if  dear 
little   fingers  swept    the  strings. 

Several  times  dnriri'_r  Maud's  stay  in  this  home,  these 
manifest  at  ions  were  repeated.  It,  is  often  asked  why  these 
things  cannot  be  done  by  all  instead  of  by  a  few  favored 
ones?  Tt  is  probably  some  strange  and  unusual  peculiarity 
of  constitution,  temperament  and  organism,  or  chemical 
constituents  of  the  body  that  makes  these  things  possible. 


144  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

This  answer  may  not  seem  adequate  or  definite  for  so  im- 
portant a  question.  It  is,  however,  as  far  as  our  knowl- 
edge of  the  subject  extends.  These  developed  faculties,  if 
so  called,  are  possessed  by  exceedingly  sensitive  and  finely 
organized  people.  Only  through  such  people  can  spirits 
manifest,  make  known  their  presence  and  formulate  their 
thoughts  into  language.  Not  all  sensitive  and  finely  organ- 
ized people  possess  these  faculties,  hence  the  inference  that 
other  requisites  are  necessary.  In  some  the  magnetic  con- 
ditions are  so  perfectly  adjusted  and  so  strong,  that  they 
are  natural  mediums.  Others  need  to  acquire  the  neces- 
sary physical  and  mental  conditions  by  change  of  habits, 
diet  and  mental  conditions.  In  other  words,  perfect  the 
apparatus  that  generates  and  directs  these  essential  forces 
ami  qualities.  Gross  conditions,  coarse  food,  meats,  nar- 
cotics and  stimulants  are  never  conducive  to  desired  phy- 
sical conditions,  nor  are  the  proper  mental  conditions 
acquired  through  profanity,  vulgarity,  licentiousness,  or 
by  vicious,  arbitrary,  passionate,  selfish  or  angular  thoughts. 
All  these  things  noted  and  corrected,  there  must  then  be 
harmony  between  the  controlling  bands ;  and  harmony,  con- 
fidence and  affinity  between  them  and  the  medium. 

Negative  conditions  are  necessary  for  all  growth,  and  so 
it  is  in  the  production  of  these  phenomena,  in  all  phases. 
As  an  entirety  it  is  a  chemical,  magnetic,  electric,  intellect- 
ual and  spiritual  problem  which  cannot  be  solved  within 
the  limits  of  any  one  or  two  of  these  enumerations.  The 
axioms,  theorems,  proportions  and  equations  of  its  solution 
must  come  from  them  all;  hence  the  failure  of  physicists 
and  scientists  to  solve  this  problem,  or  to  account  for  the 
phenomena  on  any  other  than  the  one  natural  hypothesis. 

In  the  light  of  these  statements  it  is  not  necessary  to 
answer  the  oft  repeated  question,  ' '  Why  do  not  these  things 
happen  in  my  presence,  or  at  all  times'?"  Not  because  you 
possess. any  superior  or  transcendent  quantity  or  quality  of 
body,  mind  or  spirit  to  prevent.  Qiiite  the  contrary.  Why 
not  happen  at  all  times  ?  My  dear  egotist,  phenomena  never 
happen  on  this  or  any  other  planet,  nor  is  it  produced, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  145 

excepting  under  conditions  peculiar  to  each  class  of  phe- 
nomena. No1  such  conditions  as  man  makes,  unless  his  con- 
ditions .-m-  ;".  accordance  with  the  laws  of  the  oniv< 
With  all  these  conditions,  the  operator,  the  spirit  control, 
must  be  well  versed  in  the  handling  of  these  forces  or  fail- 
ure follows,  and,  sometimes  disaster.  Death  makes  no 
marvelous  additions  to  the  spirit's  knowledge  and  ability. 
Not  all  are  master-workmen  over  there  any  more  than  here. 
Even  Jesus,  the  great  medium,  was  unable  to  perform  mar- 
vels freely  and;  at  all  times  before  his  own  people,  and  the 
absence  of  condition  was  best  expressed  by  Jesus  in  the 
word.  "Unbelief." 

TEACHES    SCHOOL    ONE    DAY. 

While  visiting  a  family  named  Van  Curen  in  Pondulac, 
Miss  Mary  Van  Curen.  who  was  teaching  the  school  at 
Taycheedah,  became  ill  and  Maud  volunteered  to  take  her 
place.  A  horse  back  ride  of  three  miles  and  the  novelty  of 
teaching  the  school  was  a  temptation  to  this  Lrirl  who  had 
never  attended  school  but  an  hour  in  her  life.  Her  control, 
Clarence,  came  and  said  he  would  help  her.  and  away  she 
went  in  high  glee.  All  that  day  she  taught  the  school,  and 
carried  it  on  successfully,  hearing  lessons  from  scholars 
much  older  than  herself. 

Upon  her  return  they  were  eager  to  learn  of  her  suc- 
cess. Greatly  elated  she  recounted  her  victories  of  gram- 
mar and  spelling.  Fearing  she  would  not  lill  the  bill,  at 
noon,  she  bought  apples,  oranges  and  candy  and  distributed 
them  freely.  The  teacher  was  ill  for  many  days,  and  was 
obliged  to  resign.  The  school  committee  was  anxious  to  se- 
cure the  new  teacher,  but  when  told  who  she  was.  a  fearful 
Consternation   took   possession   of  them.      Possibly   she   had 

even  then  inoculated  the  children  with  her  diabolism.  One 
of  the  committee.  Mr.  Nutting,  a  little  more  independent 

than  the  others,  attended  one  of  her  seances  and  was  greatly 
pleased  and  convinced  and  was  anxious  for  the  rest  of  the 
committee  to  attend.  They  did  not  have  the  courage  to  do 
so.     To  them  it  was  the  devil's  work. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

EXPERIENCES   OF   MRS.   LAURA   A.    HOOKER,   M.   D. 
(Written  by  herself  in  1886.) 

Among  the  many  friends  who  gathered  around  our 
medium  in  1867,  was  Mrs.  Laura  A.  Hooker-,  formerly  Mrs. 
Lord,  a  practicing  physician  of  Fondulac,  Wisconsin.  She 
relates  her  experience  and  tells  of  the  peculiar  phenomena 
she  witnessed  while  the  medium  was  a  member  of  her  family, 
as  follows : 

-  One  night  in  1864,  soon  after  the  decease  of  my  mother, 
I  heard  a  little  sound  like  the  ripple  of  a  silvery  stream, 
which  brought  vividly  to  my  mind  scenes  of  my  girlhood. 
As  I  listened  and  wondered  the  thought  came  to  me : 
' '  Could  it  be  a  spirit  ? ' '  My  mother  was  immediately  sug- 
gested, when  instantly  there  came  a  response  in  distinct 
raps  upon  my  pillow.  I  commenced  asking  questions  and, 
instead  of  raps,  we  were  talking  mentally  and  as  satisfac- 
torily as  with  outspoken  words.  The  conversation  was  as 
clear  and  distinct  as  though  words  had  actually  been  used, 
and,  what  was  most  surprising,  I  did  not  think  of  the 
strangeness  of  the  phenomenon  until  she  had  gone. 

In  the  year  1867,  we  became  interested  in  the  subject 
of  this  sketch.  She  was  holding  a  series  of  public  seances 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ferris.  I  had  not  attended  as  I  did  not 
believe  that  disembodied  spirits  could  do  the  things  pur- 
porting to  have  been  done  through  her  mediumship.  Sev- 
eral lady  friends  desired  that  I  should  accompany  them. 

At  the  appointed  hour  we  went  to  Armory  Hall.  A 
committee  was  selected  to  search  Miss  Maud  before  the 
seance  commenced. 

The  first  spirit  to  appear  was  that  of  a  beautiful  young 
lady.  She  came  to  the  little  curtained  window  in  the 
cabinet  and  drew  the  drapery  aside  with  a  hand  on  which 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  147 

sparkled  a  beautiful  diamond  ring,  she  remained  long 
enough  for  us  to  observe  every  feature  of  her  angelic  face. 

she  spoke  i"  those  Dear  me  who  evidently  r agnized  her, 

for  they  gave  n  Little  start  and  whispered  loud  enough  for 

me  to  distinctly  hear  that  it  was  Miss  <; .  the  daughter 

of  a  prominent  physician  of  the  city. 

An  opportunity  soon  offered  and  upon  inquiry  I 
learned  that  several  recognized  her.  One  of  the  Ladies  on 
the  examining  committee  stepped  boldly  forward  and  said 
she  was  not  a  spiritualist,  hut  that  she  had  made  a  careful 
examination  of  the  medium  and  had  found  nothing  that 
could  in  any  way  aid  in  the  demonstration.  And.  in  jus- 
tice to  the  young  woman  and  the  audience,  she  must  say 
that  she  saw  a  diamond  ring  upon  one  of  the  spirit's  hands 
and  she  was  sure  there  was  none  upon  the  hand  of  the 
medium  or  about  her. 

The  test  of  strength  was  the  greatest  marvel.  The 
manager  of  the  seance  informed  the  audience  that  he  would 
like  to  have  three  of  the  strongest  men  they  could  select 
come  upon  the  platform  and  hold  a  table  upon  the  floor,  if 
they  could,  while  the  medium  would  merely  touch  her  anger 
tips  to  the  table.  Three  men  volunteered  and  they  were 
very  fair  specimens  of  manly  strength.  The  table  writhed 
and  twisted  and  up  it  went.  They  tugged  and  pulled  and 
flunir  themselves  upon  it.  but  it  turned  and  let  them  slide 
oft',  and  then  turned  le^rs  up.  They  caught  it  again,  and 
in  their  efforts  to  hold  it  they  literally  tore  it  in  pieces. 
While  it  was  up  over  their  heads.  Miss  Maud  stood  on  tip- 
toe, with  her  hand  uplifted,  occasionally  touching  it  as  it 
Burged  and  rocked  like  a  tall  tree  in  a  tempest. 

I  sought  an  introduction  to  this  very  natural  and 
Unsophisticated  child  and  invited  her  to  spend  a  day  at  my 

home  She  accepted,  and  gave  us  some  very  pleasant  and 
interestim:  tests  <>f  which  we  knew  she  had  no  prior  know- 
Ledge.  In  a  few  days  she  Left  the  city,  and  1  saw  no  more 
of  her  for  a  few  weeks.  T  next  saw  her  when,  by  a  singu- 
lar circumstance,  Bhe  was  bronghl  back-  to  this  city  by 
Andrew  W.  Martin,  who  succeeded  in  rescuing  her  from  an 


148  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

unprincipled  party,  a  woman,  who  had  engaged  her  to  go 
to  Ripon,  Wis.  They  brought  her  to  their  home  and  pro- 
tected her. 

In  the  month  of  October,  Mrs.  Martin  brought  her  to 
our  home.  In  a  short  time,  an  attraction  sprang  up  between 
her  and  my  son,  Albert  A.  Lord,  and  about  a  year  later,  I 
became  the  possessor  of  a  daughter  in  this  rarely-gifted 
girl.  The  marriage  took  place  on  November  5,  1868,  with 
many  misgivings  on  my  part  that  they  were  not  adapted  to 
each  other.  He  was  of  a  very  selfish  and  jealous  nature, 
and,  as  is  usual  m  such  cases,  wanted  her  quite  to  himself. 
While  she  with  her  gifts  was  as  thoroughly  incapacitated, 
as  a  child  could  be,  for  domestic  life  and  its  duties.  She 
was  a  combination  of  strange  forces.  She  possessed  the 
deepest  vein  of  affection  and  sympathy,  was  very  relig- 
ious and  at  times  was  extremely  positive.  At  other  times 
she  was  very  negative  and  would  suffer  so  deeply  as  to  dis- 
tress the  whole  household.  She  was  not  educated  domestic- 
ally and  could  not  sp  adapt  herself.  Her  life's  interests 
and  unfoldment  lay  on  a  higher  and  broader  plane.  We 
were  not  slow  to  recognize  her  most  singular  gifts.  We 
soon  realized  that  she  could  not  be  fettered  or  held  by  any 
binding,  however  silken;  that  she  was  grandly  and  su- 
premely individualized ;  that  she  had  a  work  to  do  and  was 
destined  to  stand  before  the  world  as  one  of  the  brightest 
teachers  to  expound  the  beautiful  truths  of  a  transcendental 
philosophy  that  had  already  found  root;  truths  whose 
growth  must  be  as  broad  as  the  earth  and  as  vast  as  eternity. 
We  had  gained  a  daughter  whose  presence  filled  our  home 
and  hearts  with  a  joy  and  satisfaction  so  new  and  rare, 
that  happiness  was  unrest,  if  such  a  feeling  is  possible. 

At  her  first  visit  and  while  at  dinner  the  heavy  exten- 
sion table  was  visibly  rocked  to  and  fro.  Questions  were 
asked  and  intelligently  answered  by  raps.  Something  was 
said  about  her  peculiar  life  and  classical  name  "Maud 
Eugenia, ' '  when  I  related  a  little  dream,  or  vision,  which  I 
had  some  years  previous,  in  which  a  young  girl  whose  name 
was  Maud  became  identified  with  my  interests,  and  her 


CONTINUITY      OF     LAW      AND      LIFE.  149 

coming  was  brought  about  in  some  vray  by  a  man  whose 
name  was  Henri  DeCoriche.    She  Looked  surprised  when  I 

mentioned  this  name  and  said  that  sin-  was  in  some  way 
related  to  a  person  by  that  name,  and  she  had  the  impres- 
sion that  he  was  of  French  or  Spanish  birth.  She  told  ns 
that  for  some  reason  which  she  could  never  divine,  her 
mother  had  always  treated  her  unlike  the  other  children,  and 
when  she  was  about  twelve  years  old  had  destroyed  a  letter 
written  to  her  by  a  person  calling  her  his  niece  and  subscrib- 
ing himself  "Your  Uncle,  Henri  DeCoriche."  She  told  us 
how  she  was  treated  differently  from  any  of  the  children 
because  of  her  peculiar  gift. 

In  1869  Maud  and  her  husband  spent  some  months  in 
Sheboygan,  Michigan.  During  this  time  she  frequently  sent 
us  splendid  tests,  telling  us  of  some  of  our  plans,  and  of 
persons  who  had  visited  us.  One  time  she  sent  us  a  message 
saying  Clarence  had  been  home  and  had  discovered  that  the 
horse  had  slipped  the  halter  through  a  fastening  and  was 
very  likely  to  get  cast.  Mr.  Hooker  said  he  frequently 
found  a  change  in  the  tying,  giving  much  more  length  to 
the  halter,  and  he  had  been  trying  to  ascertain  the  cause. 
He  obtained  a  chain  with  a  catch  and  it  did  not  occur 
again. 

During  Maud's  stay  at  Sheboygan  I  was  arranging  to 
visit  her  and  was  to  leave  on  an  early  train.  Late  in  the 
afternoon.  I  passed  into  an  unoccupied  room  and  heard  dis- 
tinctly the  words.  "Maud  wants  her  new  black  dress  and 
lace  hat."  T  took  them  with  me;  and  on  my  arrival,  after  a 
few  moments  conversation,  I  asked  her  if  there  was  any- 
thing she  wanted  from  home?  She  said  yes,  but  guessed 
she  could  get  along  without  them.  I  questioned  why  she 
did  not  drop  me  a  line  stating  what  she  wanted.  She  said, 
"I  did  wish  that  I  had  my  black  dress  and  lace  hat.  as  I 
should  occasionally  wear  them,  but  it  does  not  matter."  I 
stepped  into  the  hall  and  brought  the  package  and  placed 
it  before  her,  much  to  her  astonishment.  When  1  told  her 
what  Clarence  said,  she  was  not  a  little  surprised  for  she 


150  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

did  not  think  he  could  make  me  understand,  although  she 
asked  him  to  try. 

The  next  day  I  saw  some  goods  which  pleased  me  and 
after  my  return  I  decided  to  send  the  money  to  her  to 
obtain  the  material  and  forward  it  to  me  by  her  husband, 
who  was  running  on  the  railroad  between  Fondulac  and 
Sheboygan.  I  handed  him  the  money  and  a  note  to  Maud 
specifying  that  I  wanted  twenty-eight  yards  of  the  goods  at 
which  we  had  looked.  When  he  arrived  at  their  boarding 
place  she  confronted  him  with  the  goods — just  twenty- 
eight  yards — arid  answered  the  questions  specified  in  the 
note,  and  even  repeated  our  conversation.  This  convinced 
him  that  spirits  are  substantially  individuals.  Maud  wrote 
me  that  Clarence  was  present  and  heard  the  conversation 
between  us  and  thought  it  a  good  opportunity  to  demon- 
strate what  a  spirit  could  do.  On  one  occasion,  while  at  din- 
ner, Maud  being  absent,  a  napkin  ring,  in  its  flight  across 
the  table  dropped  into  the  pitcher  of  water.  On  Maud's 
return,  Snowdrop — while  holding  her  medium  in  trance- 
begged  pardon  for  her  carelessness  in  allowing  it  to  fall  in 
the  water. 

RED  LETTERS  ON  HER  BODY. 

One  morning  Maud  came  down  stairs  and  astonished 
us  all  by  her  appearance.  She  seemed  to  be  covered  with 
what  I  first  thought  to-  be  red  rash.  On  closer  examination 
it  proved  to  be  letters  and  landscape  sketches,  red  in  color, 
and  raised  on  the  skin.  On  further  examination  her  arms, 
shoulders  and  back  were  found  to  be  covered.  Under 
microscopic  examination  the  skin  seemed  to  be  raised  and 
discolored.  No  unpleasant  or  painful  sensation  attended  the 
phenomenon.  The  lettering  was  an  attempt  at  Bible  quota- 
tions. The  work  of  the  artist  was  of  landscape,  with  trees, 
rivers  and  valleys.  This  phenomenon  remained  for  several 
days  and  gradually  faded  away. 

CLARENCE  HELPS  THE   MEDIUM   TO  PIE   AND   CAKE. 

It  was  my  custom  to  keep  pies  and  cakes  in  a  refrigera- 
tor over  which' were  slats  about  an  inch  apart.     This  I 


CONTIM'ITY     OP      LAW      AND     LIFE.  l-'-l 

usually  kept  locked.  Maud  would  quite  often  return  Late  at 
night  and  hungry.     Her  controls  preferred  she  should  not 

eat  dinner  or  supper  on  the  days  when  she  held  seances. 
When  the  people  for  whom  she  held  seances  did  not  know 
this  condition  to  which  she  was  subjected  she  would  come 
home  quite  exhausted  and  hungry.  She  was  always  too 
sensitive  to  ask  for  anything.  Coming  home  late  in  the 
evening  she  would  usually  eat  what  she  could  find  to  her 
liking  in  the  pantry,  and  then  ask  Clarence  to  give  her  a 
little  cake  or  pie.  Ever  faithful  Clarence!  He  would  tell 
her  to  put  a  knife  through  the  slats  and  he  would  cut  off  a 
piece  and  pass  it  out  to  her. 

CLARENCE  HIDES  THE  VELVET. 

While  .Maud  was  from  home  for  a  week.  I  thought  to 
give  her  a  surprise  by  having  a  garnet,  cashmere  dress 
remodeled.  It  had  been  taken  apart,  and  I  had  a  quantity  of 
velvet  laid  on  the  goods  in  the  desired  pattern  for  trim- 
ming, when  dinner  was  announced.  When  we  returned  to 
the  room  the  velvet  had  disappeared.  Knowing  positively 
it  was  on  the  table  when  we  left  the  room,  I  supposed  it 
must  have  been  taken  while  we  were  at  dinner.  I  wrote  Maud 
immediately,  telling  her  of  our  dilemma.  She  replied  saying 
tli.it  ( Jlarence  said  it  was  on  the  upper  shelf  in  the  closet.  We 
looked  in  several  closets,  but  not  finding  it  concluded  that 
Clarence  had  made  a  mistake1.  On  her  return  I  expres 
my  regret  over  the  loss,  when  she  said,  "Oh!  mama.  I  am 

'■ry  you  have  worried  about  it.  It  is  in  jiour  closet  in 
the  side  hall."  We  both  went  to  the  closet  and  found  the 
velvet  on  the  shelf,  she  informed  me  that  Clarence  spirited 
it  away  as  he  discovered  that  the  party  who  called  while  we 
were  at   dinner  intended   to  take  it. 

MArn's  NAME  CUT  ox  Tin:  GLAS8  OP  A   CAR  WINDOW. 

Soon  after  this  incident  I  concluded  to  take  a  trip  to 
Plymouth.  Michigan,  and  return  by  StUTgis  Prairie.  Clar- 
ence  said   he   would   go   with   me.      While  en  route  a   verv 


152  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

singular  incident  occurred.  On  entering  the  car,  which  was 
very  well  filled,  I  was  offered  a  seat  by  a  young  man  who 
was  well  informed  on  the  general  topics  of  the  day.  We  dis- 
cussed various  subjects,  among  others  Elizabeth  Stewart 
Phelps'  new  work,  "Gates  Ajar,"  and  from  that  to  spirit- 
ualism. I  told  him  of  my  investigation  with  this  young 
girl  who  had  so  recently  become  my  daughter,  and  his  appar- 
ent interest  caused  me  to  relate  many  items  of  my  experi- 
ence. While  we  were  talking  he  asked  for  her  name.  I 
looked  toward  the  window  and  saw  "Maud  E.  Lord"  plainly 
cut  in  the  clear  glass.  I  was  surprised  and  called  his  atten- 
tion to  it  by  saying:  "There  is  her  name  on  the  glass." 
This  surprised  him  equally  as  much.  I  someway  thought  he 
might  have  written  it,  and  said :  ' '  Perhaps  it  will  wipe 
off. ' '  He  made  the  attempt,  and  found  it  was  cut  deep  into 
the  glass  as  if  done  with  a  diamond.  He  said  he  knew  it 
was  not  there  when  he  took  the  seat.  He  surely  did  not 
write  it,  and  I  did  not.  He  gave  me  his  name,  as  Howard 
Wright. 

That  evening  I  arrived  at  my  friends',  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Chandler,  in  Plymouth.  One  night  while  there  my  suf- 
fering from  heart  trouble  seemed  unbearable,  when  I  said : 
"Clarence  if  you  are  here,  can't  you  bring  the  relief  I  so 
much  need?"  I  immediately  felt  an  electric  thrill  sweep 
over  me  and  I  was  soon  asleep. 

A  few  nights  later  I  awoke  about  midnight  with  a  feel- 
ing of  suffocation.  I  fully  realized  my  condition,  but  was 
powerless  to  move  or  call.  I  thought  of  the  excitement  my 
death  would  cause  with  these  friends  wTith  whom  I  was  stop- 
ping, and  of  the  opinion  as  to  the  cause  of  my  death.  These 
things  passed  rapidly  through  my  mind;  and,  as  I  felt  the 
hour  of  approaching  dissolution  nearing,I  sent  out,  as  I  sup- 
posed, the  last  loving  adieu  to  friends  and  family  at  home. 
To  my  surprise,  a  hand  was  laid  upon  my  side  and  I  was 
briskly  rubbed  over  the  region  of  the  heart.  The  hand  was 
on  my  side  convenient  for  -my  arm  to  close  upon  it.  I  did 
this,  and  felt  the  hand  withdrawn  as  natural  as  any  human 
hand.     It  seemed  as  proportionately  large  and  natural  as  one 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  153 

attached  to  a  physical  body.  1  oonld  not  be  mistaken;  such 
an  experience  leaves  no  chance  for  fancy  or  delusion. 

<>n  my  arrival  at  Sturgia  Prairie  I  spent  Friday  night 

at  the  hotel  and  retired  in  good  spirits.    S e  time  in  the 

night  1  awoke  with  the  same  trouble  with  my  he;irt.  At 
this  erisis  my  mattress  was  lifted  and  shaken  so  vigor- 
ously thai  I  was  thrown  upon  my  right  side  and  thus 
brought  out  of  the  attack.  This  was  unaccountably 
strange  to  me,  but  why  did  they  not  speak?  My  door 
was  securely  locked.  Could  it  be  a  spirit?  I  remained 
till  Monday  and  was  soon  back  at  my  home. 

After  tea  we  sat  down  for  a  visit  when  Clarence  and 
Snowdrop  controlled  and  reviewed  every  incident  connected 
with  my  journey,  including  my  conversation  with  Mr. 
Wright  on  the  cars.  Clarence  asked  me  how  I  liked  him 
as  traveling  companion.  I  told  him  it  was  my  first  positive 
venture  with  an  invisible,  but  I  had  learned  much  of  inesti- 
mable value,  for  which  I  was  under  many  obligations.  He 
then  related  how  he  had  summoned  certain  powerful  spirits 
to  aid  him  in  bringing  me  out  of  that  most  critical  condi- 
tion at  Plymouth,  when  I  was  so  near  leaving  the  body.  He 
said  that  when  I  had  the  second  attack  at  Sturgis  Prairie 
he  had  left  me  in  care  of  other  spirits  who  could  not  mate- 
rialize a  hand  with  which  to  treat  me  magnetically  but  they 
could  lift  the  mattress  and  turn  me  over. 

SEANCE  AT  TH':  HOME  OF  A.  G,  RUGGLES. 

About  twenty  persons  met  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  A. 
(I.  Ruggles,  a  prominent  banker,  for  a  seance.  T  was  one  of 
the  number.  During  the  seance  a  spirit  called  for  a  thread 
and   needle.     Mrs.   Ruggles  brought  the  needle  and  some 

white  thread  which  she  placed  upon  a  table  without  thread- 
ing Hie  needle.  Presently  the  spirits  called  for  a  light ;  and, 
to  our  astonishment,  we  found  a  large  pearl  button  had 
been   sewed   on    .Mi".    Ku<_r,_de's  vest.      We   also    found   where 

they  had  removed  this  button  from  a  lady's  garment  for  the 
purpose  of  demonstrating  what  they  could  do.  Two  others 
of  the  party  had  their  garments  sewed  together. 


154  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

At  this  same  seance,  a  lady  came  and  addressed  one 
of  the  sitters  as  her  affianced,  and  told  us  she  was  burned 
to  death  by  the  explosion  of  a  lamp.  A  gentleman  quickly 
recognized  the  spirit.  I  learned  that  this  gentleman,  though 
well  advanced  in  years,  was  waiting  for  the  time  when 
he  should  journey  over  to  claim  her  as  his  bride  upon  the 
other  side. 

I  was  again  privileged  to  sit  in  a  seance  with  a  part 
of  this  same  company  when  a  spirit  came  saying :  "I  am 
so  hungry,  oh  so  hungry."  Mrs.  Lord"  said:  "Mr.  Rug- 
gles,  this  person  gives  his  name  and  says  he  is  your  brother ; 
and  that  he  starved  to  death  in  a  Southern  prison."  He 
was  at  once  recognized  by  Mr.  Ruggles,  who  asked :  ' '  What 
can  I  do  for  you?"  The  answer  came,  "I  am  so  hungry." 
Presently  each  felt  a  wolf  robe  drawn  over  their  laps  and 
hands.  Mr.  Ruggles  said  his  brother  had  just  completed  a 
soft  robe,  when  he  concluded  to  go  into  the  army,  and  gave 
the  robe  to  him,  and  he  still  had  it ;  that  the  voice  was  per- 
fectly natural  and  that  his  brother  was  one  of  the  unfor- 
tunate prisoners  at  Andersonville. 

"O  say  shall  I  meet  on  the  unseen  shore, 
The  loved  and  the  lost  who  have  gone  before? 
I  have  lost  the  gleam  of  their  eyes  of  light 
A   sadness   shrouds    my   heart  to-night." 

— Neville. 

AN    INDIAN    PREDICTS    CUSTER 'S    MASSACRE. 

One  beautiful  Sabbath  morning,  in  the  early  part  of 
June,  1876,  Maud  came  home  for  her  first  visit  after  our 
return  to  Fondulac  from  our  three  years'  residence  in  Chi- 
cago. There  was  something  impressive  in  the  quietude  of 
that  Sabbath  day.  We  were  happy  and  lingered  long  at 
the  breakfast  table.  Maud  was  the  first  to  leave  the  room. 
As  we  passed  into  the  sitting  room  we  heard  the  voice  of 
Snowdrop.  She  seemed  very  happy  that  she  had  taken  us 
by  surprise.  After  she  had  prepared  the  way,  other  spirits, 
one  after  another,  took  control.  One  trilled  an  Italian 
air;  another  sang  a  Spanish  song;  then  a  German  master 
musician  pealed  forth  in  German,  in  melodious  strains  that 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  L65 

filled  every  pari  of  the  house  ami  could  have  been  distinctly 
heard  out  in  the  street. 

I  never  had  such  an  intellectual  feast;  never  witm 
just  such  phenomena,  and  wished  again  and  again  that 
others  might  be  permitted  to  hear  such  grand  recitals.  At 
the  close,  a  well-informed  Indian  chief  came  in  the  interest 
of  his  people.  He  expressed  in  well  selected  and  telling 
Language  the  regrets  he  felt  that  his  people  should  be  driven 

from  territory  to  territory,  regardless  of  their  attachments 
and  rights,  regardless  of  their  being  human  and  a  part  of 
God's  creation.  He  said  his  white  brother  seemed  to  forget 
they  were  endowed  with  strong  feelings  of  friendship, 
hatred  and  revenge  like  unto  the  pale  faces.  He  said  they 
had  prayed  to  the  great  Father  at  Washington,  but  he  did 
not  heed  them:  that  they  had  held  councils  and  sent  peti- 
tions, all  to  no  purpose;  that  even  now  they  were  holding 
councils  around  their  camp  fires,  preparing  their  young 
men  for  war.  Their  women  and  children  were  sending  up 
prayers  to  the  great  Father,  for  they  feared  that  the  war- 
fare would  be,  long  and  severe,  and  the  contest  a  bloody 
one.  He  counted  the  time  to  the  very  day  when  the  great 
general  and  his  array  would  suffer  defeat.  He  said  they 
would  all  bite  the  dust,  and  their  blood  would  flow  like 
water.  We  counted  the  days  and  found  it  would  be  on  the 
25th  and  made  a  note  of  it  at  the  time*  He  prayed  that 
the  Greal  Spirit  would  deal  our  mercy  to  his  people  and 
interfere  with  the  plans  of  burning  revenge  with  which  the 

white  man  ami  the  red  man  are  actuated.     He  pleaded  for 

justice  to  the  pale  nation  and  equal  justice  for  his  people. 
lie  prayed  that  peace  might  wave  its  banner  of  eternal 
friendship  over  his  people,      lie  prayed  that  blood  should 

Hot    be   Spilled   to   < pel    the    <  i  o  VCfl  1 1  iiellt    to   keep    tile   tfe.lty 


•NOTE: — On  the  very  day  named  by  the  old  chief  the  mas- 

cii    Coster   mid    his   nun    too*    place.     The  records  of  the 

War   Department   Btate  that   Qeneral   Custer  and   his   company 

killed   at   the   battle  Of   Lactle   Big  Horn,   in   .Montana,  June 

25,  1870.     A  monument  marks  the  place  where  Custer  fell.     Only 

one  man,  a  BOOOt,  escaped. 


156  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

which  was  entered  into  for  the  protection  of  the  Indians. 
He  said  the  trouble  was  almost  at  the  door. 

THE    ORIENTAL    PHILOSOPHER'S    PROPHECY. 

Before  our  Sabbath  morning's  devotion  closed,  a  wise 
Oriental  spirit  came.  His  manifest  culture,  deep  research 
and  breadth  of  intellect  gave  us  some  idea  to  what  perfec- 
tion a  soul  can  attain.  His  expanse  of  thought  and  world- 
wide range  of  knowledge  enabled  him  to  look  into  depths 
all  unknown  to  us ;  to  see  our  lives  and  the  conditions  that 
have  and  will  surround  us  through  our  sojourn  here;  to 
know  so  well  the  ins  and  outs  and  the  course  in  which  we 
will  drift  with  a  determination  as  though  fixed  by  the  laws 
that  govern  the  constellations. 

I  cannot  lightly  pass  this  most  important  and  memora- 
bly event  in  this  one  great  dream  of  my  life.  His  strange 
prophecy ;  the  foreshadowing  of  events,  seemingly  so  improb- 
able; his  statements  concerning  another  unusual  character 
to  be  brought  into  our  lives,  seemed  so  strange  and  unlikely 
that  I  concluded  they  were,  figuratively  speaking,  scenes  in 
the  other  life.  Yet  I  know  miracles  are  no  part  of  the 
Oriental  philosophy.  I  know  this  philosophy  relegates  every- 
thing that  happens  to  law,  immutable,  eternal  law,  and  that 
its  initiated  adepts  can  read  from  the  entablatures  of  life 
all  things  that  have  been,  or  ever  will  be. 

After  speaking  of  the  many  facts  in  our  experience, 
with  a  superior  knowledge  and  interest,  he  pointed  out  the 
fields  of  usefulness  which  lay  as  broad  as  creation  before 
every  human  soul,  and  the  advantages  to  be  derived  by  liv- 
ing active,  useful  lives,  saying  that  very  few  people  realize 
that  every  hour  is  fraught  with  divine,  as  well  as  natural 
matter  drifting  along  the  avenues  in  which  their  feet  have 
found  pathways.  Few  realize  that  their  thoughts  and 
daily  acts  are  the  written  record  of  their  own  destiny — the 
monument  they  are  rearing  to  live  after  them. 

After  this  beautiful  address  he  offered  a  few  selected 
words  to  my  fair-haired  niece,  telling  her  that  changes 
awaited  her;  that  her  life  would  not  be  just  as  she  had 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND      LIFE.  157 

drawn  the  picture,  but  the  changes  would  bring  experience, 
and  from  experience  and  from  the  lessons  which  come 
naturally  in  their  turn  she  would  receive  her  best  growth. 
He  told  her  that  she  would  be  married  to  a  much  older  man 
than  the  one  she  expected  at  that  time  to  wed;  that  children 
would  come  to  bless  her  life;  that  strange  experiences 
would  come  if  she  was  true  and  faithful  to  the  teachings 
now  given  her.  Nearly  all  he  said  to  her  has  been  most 
truthfully  verified  as  the  years  have  passed,  leaving  their 
indelible  finger  prints  upon  her  fair  young  life. 

lie  then  addressed  me  as  the  silver-haired  matron  to 
whom  had  already  come  many,  many  changes  and  deep  fur- 
rows that  had  found  their  pathway  to  the  soul;  but.  that 
my  faith  had  saved  me  from  the  despair  so  common  to 
humanity,  lie  said  that  the  powers  were  working  out  their 
own  plans;  and.  stranger  than  fiction,  that  my  scattered 
family  would  come  from  the  East  and  the  West,  from  the 
North  and  the  South,  and  would  dwell  for  a  brief  time 
under  my  roof;  that  a  reunion  would  take  place,  and  a  new 
element  would  come  into  our  lives,  bringing  new  conditions; 
and.  in  time,  each  would  go  accordingly  to  plans  that  lay  in 
embryo,  but  which  would  come  forth  matured  for  accept- 
ance. He  added.  "We  are  sometimes  many  years  in  per- 
fecting a  plan,  as  in  the  case  of  bringing  this  medium  to 
you.  We  have  now  in  view  and  have  selected  a  man  we  feel 
sure  will  be  just  the  person  to  carry  out  the  plans  we  are 
projecting.  Plans  that  will  make  the  voice  of  spiritual 
science  echo  and  re-echo  throughout  the  land;  that  will 
enable  anxious  inquirers  i"  satisfactorily  solve  the  question 
regarding  the  continuity  of  life  and  spirit  return,  ami  make 
men  know  that  when  they  die.  they  will  live  again,  and  know 
that  the  soul,  divested  of  its  physical  armor,  can  and  always 
will  exist  as  an  independent  being.  The  man  of  our  selec- 
tion shall  stand  for  our  cause  and  we  will  bring  him  sue- 
in  ;ill  our  battles.  By  the  laws  of  ethereal  vibrations. 
by  which  thought  and  vision  may  be  flashed  over  seas  ami 
continents,  we  will  reveal  him  to  you  in  "visions  of  the 
night."      Already    in    a    distant    city    where    he    stands    so 


158  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

distinctively  alone  and  individualized,  young  in  years,  he  is 
contending  with  voice  and  pen  for  freedom  from  priestly 
rule  and  the  domination  of  ecclesiastical  thought.  We  have 
caused  believers  in  this  beautiful  philosophy  to  touch  his 
image  with  indelible  pigments  that  you  and  our  medium 
may  recognize  him,  when  in  the  perfection  of  our  plans,  he 
shall  cross  this  threshold  and  become  a  potent  factor  in  the 
life  of  this  instrument,  whom  we  love  and  designate  as  ' '  The 
Daughter  of  the  Orient,"  whose  life  has  been  fraught  with 
so  many  strange  adventures  and  thrilling  scenes;  with  the 
greatest  achievements  and  most  brilliant  success  as  a 
medium ;  and,  who  has  justly  earned  the  crown  that  awaits 
her,  for  work  already  done,  and  yet  to  be  done,  from  ocean 
to  ocean  and  from  the  gulf  to  the  frozen  seas  of  the  far 
north.  To  her  shall  be  given  the  spiritual  gifts  and  graces 
known  to  nations  not  considered  in  your  category  of  civi- 
lized people;  and,  the  secrets  of  the  Veiled  Isis  shall  yield 
to  her  marvelous  psychometric  sense.  The  epoch  when  these 
spiritual  gifts  will  be  understood  and  appreciated  is  fast  ap- 
proaching, for  this  planet  moves  in  a  spiritual  as  well  as  in  a 
material  cycle.  Remember  that  all  important  epochs  in 
human  lives  and  in  the  life  of  nations  are  shadowed  upon 
the  spiritual  atmosphere  just  as  certainly  as  your  material 
atmosphere  portends  storms.  Listen,  ye,  then,  to  the  lan- 
guage of  spirit;  learn  its  purpose,  interpret  its  message. 
Does  it  come  with  an  oppressive  feeling  of  uncertainty  and 
dread?  Then  go  no  farther  in  that  direction.  Does  the 
way  seem  clear  and  free?  Then  go  on.  These  premoni- 
tions are  permitted,  if  you  but  heed  them." 

Much  more  was  said  but  I  have  not  the  power  to  voice 
his  thoughts  or  the  eloquence  and  elegance  of  his  expression. 
T  have  treasured  this  extraordinary  visit  as  the  most  eventful 
of  my  life.  I  could  not  then  understand  that  the  things  pre- 
dicted were  the  well  defined  letter  of  our  lives.  Seemingly 
it  would  not  be  that  my  family  would  be  scattered  and 
would  again  all  meet  under  my  roof.  This  sounded  like  a 
fairy  tale,  yet  out  of  the  depths  of  undefinable  mystery  it 
has  nearly  all  come  to  pass. 


CONTINl'ITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  159 

Is  cur  life  in  tin-  keeping  of  the  invisibles  1  Then  why 
so  orach  trouble  and  sorrow '.' 

Discipline,  development,  progress.     Is  there  not  some 

r  road  to  these  goals  1  How  are  these  happenings  fore- 
told? I  have  questioned  the  theory  of  accident  and  foreor- 
dination  without  satisfactory  answer.  The  voice  that 
vibrates  to  my  inner  life  and  whispers  to  my  soul  answers 
that  it  is  neither.  The  Logical  deduction  seems  to  be  that  the 
masters  of  advanced  spiritual  science,  seeing  and  under- 
standing cause  and  effect,  and  knowing  that  we  move  in  the 
lines  of  least  resistance,  divine  what  will  follow  certain 
conditions. 

It  is  now.  as  I  write,  ten  years  since  this  Grand  Master 
of  Oriental  Wisdom  came  to  our  humble  home.  The  seem- 
ingly impossible  prophecies  have  nearly  all  been  realized. 
Maud  and  her  husband,  my  son,  have  separated,  each  going 
their  own  way  for  the  past  few  years;  he  to  the  material 
things  of  life,  and  she  to  her  grand  and  glorious  work. 
Yet,  we  have  loved  her  all  these  years  as  truly  our  own 
daughter.  This  Oriental  Master  said  a  reunion  should  take 
place,  when  tin  stranger  should  come.  Whenl  "In  the 
perfection  of  their  plans." 

We  continue  to  call  Maud  our  daughter  and  love  her 
all  the  more.    She  comes  to  sec  us  when  duties  permit,  so 

we   have   not    lost    her  or  her  attendant    spirits  who  are  all 
very  dear  to  us. 

More  remarkable  than  all  else  is  the  stranger  who  is 
to  come.  Yes.  I  have  seen  him— just  how  I  do  not  know. 
This  much  I  know,  I  shall  surely  recognize  him  when  he 
comes.  Will  he  come?  That  is  to  be  seen.  As  shown  to 
me  he  was  a  man  of  serious  mein,  with  full,  long,  brown 
beard;  a  little  stooped:  about  thirty  years  of  age,  pos- 
sihly  thirty-five.  Il<'  always  came  with  a  daily  news- 
paper in  his  hand.  We  could  never  see  the  name  of  the 
paper. 

Maud  would  very  often  come  down  stairs  from  her 
room  in  the  morning,  and  say.  —  ••  Mama.  1  saw  the  stranger 
last  aight.    He  said  he  was  to  be  my  husband.     He  had  a 


1G0  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

newspaper  in  his  hand.     I  don't  like  men  with  full  beard 
anyhow." 

We  used  to  talk  about  these  visits  and  wondered  if  the 
prophecy  would  come  to  pass,  and  how  he  came  and  how 
she  could  hear  him  talk.  The  theory  of  Astral  visits  some- 
how never  seemed  quite  scientific  or  logical  to  me.  Es- 
pecially when  "doubles"  or  Astral  visitants  do  not  retain 
any  memory  of  their  visits.  The  data  for  such  a  conclu- 
sion seemed  insufficient  and  unsatisfactory,  much  more 
so  than  the  theory  suggested  by  the  Oriental  Master  that 
there  are  ethereal  currents  on  which  thought  and  visions 
can  be  conveyed  over  seas  and  continents.  Surely  some  of 
us  will  solve  this  problem  and  the  greater  Riddle  of  the 
Universe  before  the  century  closes. 

A    SPIRIT   LOCKED    AND    UNLOCKED    THE   DOOR. 

On  my  return  from  my  visit  in  Michigan,  I  was  in- 
formed that  our  pears  were  ripe  and  had  been  nicely  cared 
for  by  our  spirit  friends.  My  husband  said  the  door  to 
the  room  where  the  fruit  was  kept  had  become  fastened  on 
the  inside.  He  thought  our  friend  Clarence  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  it. 

When  we  tried  the  lock  we  could  hear  the  bolt  fly 
back,  but  still  we  could  not  open  the  door.  I  said,  "Clar- 
ence, can  you  open  the  door?"  Immediately  the  latch  on 
the  inside  flew  back  and  we  entered.  We  found  each 
decayed  pear  had  been  wrapped  nicely  in  paper  by  the 
spirits  and  placed  on  the  table.  All  that  remained  on  the 
floor  were  sound. 

At  our  next  sitting  Clarence  told  us  that  Snowdrop  and 
some  other  spirit  friends  had  taken  care  of  the  fruit,  and 
by  using  the  inside  latch  they  were  able  to  protect  it.  I 
thanked  them  for  their  kind  attention,  when  Snowdrop 
said  with  a  merry  laugh,  "You  are  very  much  obliged." 

REMARKABLE    MANIFESTATIONS    AT    HOME    OF    J.    R.    TALMAGE. 

Mr.  Hooker,  Maud  and  I  went  to  Calumet  for  a  visit 
and  a  seance  at  the  home  of  our  friend,  J.  R.  Talmage. 
During  the  seance  Maud  described  a  woman  in  her  work- 


THE  STRANGER  OF  THE  ORIENTAL  PHILOSOPHERS 
PROPHECY.     (June,   1876.) 

(See  page  156.) 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  1C1 

ing  dress  with  such  accuracy  that  a  little  laugh  passed 
from  friend  to  friend.  She  was  the  wife  of  a  prominent 
St.ite  official  and  was  prone  to  luxuriate  in  easy  shoes, 
and  wore  no  collar.  It  was  these  striking  features  that 
provoked  the  mirth  with  those  who  knew  her  best  and 
loved  her  most. 

A  young  lady  came,  giving  her  name,  which  was  read- 
ily recognized.  She  placed  her  hand  upon  the  shoulder 
of  a  gentleman  and  related  her  grief  in  the  past  with  an 
earnestness  which  indicated  more  than  ordinary  trouble. 
This  gentleman,  aided  by  his  good  wife,  was  instrumental 
in  making  her  life  seem  less  dark  and  tempestuous.  This 
was  her  first  opportunity  to  express  her  gratitude  and  to 
voice  the  tender  memories  which  she  had  carried  with  her 
beyond  the  wild  blasts  and  incongruous  elements  that  had 
crushed  all  hope  out  of  her  young  heart;  to  tell  her  ben- 
efactor that  kind  words  and  kinder  deeds  not  only  live 
in  memory,  but  will  greet  him  on  the  other  side,  like  a 
golden  benediction  from  out  of  the  past. 

CLARENCE  LOCKS  THE  DOOR  AND  BUILDS  THE  FIRE. 

Leaving  Maud  at  Mr.  Talmage's  to  return  on  the  train, 
Mi-.  Booker  and  I  drove  home;  and  on  arrival,  found  our 
night  key  would  not  unlock  the  door.  Mr.  Hooker  tried 
the  second  lock,  which  was  only  used  at  nights  and  which 
we  knew  had  not  been  locked  when  we  left  home,  and 
thus  opened  the  door.  On  entering  the  Bitting  room  we 
both  heard  a  low.  soft  strain  of  music  which  seemed  to 
fill  the  whole  house.  At  the  same  time  we  saw  with  great 
surprise  tin-  tire  burning  brightly  in  the  coal  stove.  What 
could  it  meant  The  door  double  locked;  lb'1  fire  burn- 
ing brightly;  the  bouse  filled  with  such  ;i  cheerful  glow, 
;m<l  those  peculiar  musical  vibrations  just  barely  percep- 
tible to  our  senses  ! 

There  was  no  one  in  the  house  and  no  way  for  any- 
one t<>  enter,  besides,  there  was  no  one  who  could  be  ex- 
pected  to  come  in  during  our  absence,    Search  ;is  we  did 

we  could   not   find  the  key  which   was  usually   left    in   the 
—6 


162  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

lover  lock  on  the  inside.  It  was  not  in  the  lock  where  we 
had  left  it.  While  waiting  for  Maud  to  come  my  attention 
was  attracted  to  the  front  hall  by  a  slight  noise;  and,  on 
going  to  the  door,  there  was  the  key  in  the  lock !  In- 
stantly we  knew  that  Clarence  could  explain.  After  Maud 
arrived  Clarence  came,  and  the  first  words  he  spoke  were, 
"Did  you  find  the  house  all  right?"  "Yes,  indeed,"  I 
replied,  '"and  I  was  never  more  happily  surprised."  He 
then  said.  "I  came  home  several  times  to  see  if  all  was 
right;  and.  fearing  the  door  was  insecure,  I  locked  the 
lower  lock  and  put  the  key  on  the  moulding  of  the  base- 
board. I  then  opened  the  stove  damper,  intending  to  re- 
turn in  time  to  unlock  the  door  and  be  present  when  you 
eanje,  but  I  went  to  look  after  Maud  and  did  not  return 
in  time.  When  I  arrived  I  found  you  had  made  better 
time  than  I  expected,  so  I  put  the  key  in  the  door  and 
have  been  much  amused  over  your  conversation  and  ques- 
tionil 

I  spoke  of  the  happy  feeling  I  experienced  when  I 
entered  the  sitting  room  and  heard  the  music  and  saw  the 
cheerful  fire.  The  room  seemed  to  be  made  brilliant  with 
a  halo  of  beauty  and  exquisite  soul  rest  as  though  spirit 
fingers  had  touched'  everything  around  it.  Clarence  said 
he  did  try  to  leave  a  glow  of  spiritual  magnetism  in  the 
room.     We  thanked  him  and  our  sitting  closed. 

CLARENCE    GOES    TO    THE    CELLAR    AFTER    BUTTER. 

'>ver  our  kitchen  table  Ave  had  a  rack  for  knives  and 
spoons  used  in  cooking.  One  knife  in  particular  we  used 
for  cutting  rolls  of  butter.  I  was  preparing  tea,  and  know- 
ing some  butter  would  be  needed,  had  just  wiped  this 
particular  knife  and  placed  it  in  its  usual  place,  expect- 
ing to  visit  the  cellar  in  a  moment.  Just  then  Maud  ap- 
peared at  the  door  opening  into  the  kitchen,  at  least  ten 
feet  from  where  I  stood,  and  asked-  me  if  she  could  assist 
me.  I  replied,  "Yes,  I  will  hand  you  the  knife  and  butter 
dish  and  von  may  get  the  'mtter  from  the  cellar."     She 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  163 

had  not  taken  one  step  towards  me  when  I  reached  for  the 
knife  and  it  was  gone!  I  told  her  she  might  take  a  dish 
and  a  knife  from  the  dining  table.     I  was  looking  for  the 

missing  knife  when    I   heard  her  scream. 

I  rushed  into  the  room,  thinking  that  she  had  either 
broken  the  lamp  or  it   had  exploded.     I  expected  to  find 

her  enveloped  in  fl; S.     The  door  to  the  cellar  was  at  the 

extreme  end  of  the  sitting  room  and  she  had  only  time  to 
reach  it.  Imagine  my  surprise  when  I  saw  her  holding 
the  lamp  above  her  head,  and  in  her  other  hand  she  held 
the  lost  knife  with  a  large  roll  of  butter  attached  to  it. 
She  stood  looking  down  the  stairs  with  as  much  wonder 
and  astonishment  as  any  person  who  had  never  seen  a 
while  robed  spirit. 

As  1  took  thr  knife  from  her  hand  I  saw  that  Olar- 
ence  had  written  his  name  plainly,  as  if  done  with  some 
sharp  instrument,  on  the  butter.  Maud  said  when  she 
opened  the  door  that  a  beautiful  light  rested  upon  every 
tiling,  and  she  saw  Clarence  dressed  in  a  white  robe  kneel- 
ing at  the  crock  of  butter.  She  said  that  the  knife  was 
handed  t<>  her  with  such  speed  that  she  could  not  help 
screaming. 

It  was  my  constant  delight  to  visit  flower  gardens 
and  conservatories  with  Maud.  Tf  there  weir  any  es- 
pecially exquisite  flowers  that  Maud  admired,  they  would, 
by  chemical  laws  unknown  to  us,  extraci  perfume  from 
such  flowers  and  place  it  upon  her  hands.    This  was  often 

the    only    way    she    knew    that    such    flowers    were    in    the 

garden. 

I  remember  a  performance  much  stranger  even  than 
this.  I.  as  well  as  hundreds  of  others  i<>  my  en-tain  know- 
ledge, have  been  in  1cm-  Beances  when  i  he  spirits  broughl  rare 
and  exotic  perfumes,  rach  as  the  aroma  of  the  orange  blos- 
soms, tropical  plants,  or  the  scenl  of  the  hay  field,  when  no 

such  plants  or  flowers  were  within  many  miles,  and  when 
none  of  the  company   had   any  such   perfume  about    them. 

These  flowers  were  real  and  were  not  the  resull  of  sugges- 
tion.  Such  facts  are  well  authenticated  and  known  to  bun- 


164  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

dreds  of  people,  from  all  over  the  world,  who  sat  in  her 
seances  in  those  busy  days. 

On  one  occasion  in  Chicago  the  lap  of  each  one  in 
the  seance  was  filled  Avith  wild  flowers,  and  we  could 
never  learn  from  whence  they  came;  certainly  there  were 
no  wild  flowers  within  many  miles  of  that  city. 

Our  ablest  physicists  are  not  able  to  explain  the  laws, 
or  the  application  of  the  laws  under  which  the  simplest  of 
these  thing's  are  done,  and  therefore  they  prefer  to  dispute 
the  facts.  The  Eastern  Adept— the  initiated  Brahman — 
on  the  contrary,  has  for  centuries  studied  the  intellectual 
forces  and  their  controlling  laws,  and  understands  their  ap- 
plication. They  realize  their  spirits'  possibilities  while 
still  in  the  body. 

DELIVERS    A     MESSAGE    TO    A     STRANGER. 

In  1869  Maud  was  coming  from  Sheboygan  to  Fon- 
dulac  and  had  to  wait  at  a  station  several  hours  for  friends 
who  were  to  join  her.  The  guides  took  her  into  a  strang- 
er's house  and  she  began  to  address  the  lady  of  the  house 
as  mother.  The  lady  said,  "Who  are  you?"  "Why, 
mother,  I  am  George  Russell,"  was  the  reply.  "He  was 
my  son,"  she  said,  "and  you  are  a  woman."  "Yes,  but 
mother,  it's  I,  truly  it  is.  May  I  go  up  stairs  and  show 
you  the  things  I  sent  you  from  the  army?"  "Yes,  you 
may  go,  and  I  will  believe  you  if  you  find  the  things  up 
stairs."  The  spirit  then  took  the  medium  up  stairs  to  the 
lower  bureau  drawer  where  the  mother  had  put  away  the 
things  that  he  had  fashioned  with  his  own  hands.  A  pin- 
cushion, a  bone  ring,  a  bone  toothpick,  and  a  tidy  beau- 
tifully beaded  by  his  own  hands  for  the  dear  old  mother 
so  far  away.  When  he  had  looked  them  all  over,  all  the 
while  smiling  and  chatting  familiarly  about  them  and  con- 
cerning the  loved  ones  with  him  and  those  left  here,  he 
said,  "My  coat,  mother,  may  I  show  it  to  you?"  He  went 
directly  to  an  old  trunk  and,  taking  from  it  his  soldier 
coat  with  its  tarnished  buttons,  he  pointed  sadly  to  a  bul- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  1C5 

let  hole  and  said,  "Mother,  through  that  renl   passed  the 

minnie  ball  that  robbed  you  of  your  boy's  body,  but  not 
his  spirit,  for  I  am  here  with  you."  The  facts  of  pre- 
sentation were  so  positive,  so  assured  and  so  unhesitat- 
ingly asserted  that  the  mother  could  not  doubt  his  pres- 
ence. 

A    SPIRIT    RETURNS    A    LOST    RING. 

One  evening  Maud  came  down  stairs  from  her  room 
under  control  of  Kaolah  to  treat  me  for  heart  trouble. 
She  took  a  ring  from  her  finger  when  she  first  came  into 
the  room  and  laid  it  upon  the  corner  of  my  dressing  stand. 
I  put  my  hand  out  to  get  it,  fearing  it  might  get  brushed 
off.  It  was  not  there !  She  left  the  room  in  a  trance ;  and 
after  she  was  gone  I  got  up,  and  with  a  light  looked  for 
the  ring,  but  could  not  find  it.  I  knew  she  did  not  pick 
it  up  when  she  left  the  room.  In  the  morning  I  looked 
over  every  inch  of  the  room,  but  it  was  not  to  be  found. 
Evening  came  and  the  ring  was  still  missing.  Maud  came 
down  stairs  about  seven  o'clock  and  passed  out  through 
the  library.  As  she  left  the  room  she  said  to  me,  "Aunt 
Abbey  is  here  and  wants  you  to  go  over  there,"  pointing 
towards  the  dining  room  door  and  opposite  to  the  direction 
she  was  going.  I  heard  her  close  the  door  as  she  went  out, 
and  knew  the  domestic  had  shut  up  the  dining  room  for 
the  night  and  had  gone.  The  door  of  the  dining  room 
creaked,  swung  open  and  shut  a  Little,  just  enough  to  at- 
tract our  attention.  As  we  looked  in  that  direction  a 
beautiful  white  hand  appeared  over  the  door,  with  the 
back  towards  us.  We  all  noted  the  style  and  make  of  the 
white  sleeve,  the  width  of  the  hem  at  the  wrist,  and  the 
delicate  trimming.  When  the  hand  Bnapped  a  ring  out 
into  the  room,  we  were  all  fairly  paralyzed  with  amaze- 
ment. 

While  at  Sheboygan,  Mrs.  Lord  became  interested  in 
a  bright,  pretty,  rosy-cheeked  German  girl.  She  was  the 
picture  of  health  and  worked  at  the  hotel.  The  clairvoyant 
eyes  of  Mrs.  Lord  discovered  the  shadow  of  death  around 


ICG  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

her,  and  asked  the  girl  if  she  felt  well.  She  answered, 
"Yes." 

The  third  day  after  this  she  saw  that  the  dark  shadow 
lay  all  about  the  girl.  That  afternoon  the  girl  complained 
of  a  serious  headache  and  went  to  her  home  some  little  dis- 
tance from  the  hotel  and  went  to  bed  very  ill.  She  grew 
rapidly  worse.  She  had  formed  a  great  attachment  for 
Mrs.  Lord  and  implored  the  family  to  send  for  her.  They 
did  so  and  upon  her  arrival  at  the  sick  bed  she  found  the 
girl  in  a  delirium  of  fever.  When  the  soothing  and  mes- 
meric hands  of  Mrs.  Lord  touched  poor  Minnie  she  re- 
gained consciousness;  and,  looking  up  with  a  sweet  smile 
of  joyful  recognition,  said,  "Oh,  my  dear  Mrs.  Lord,  you 
have  come  to  see  your  poor  Minnie  die." 

Only  too  well  she  realized  the  truth;  and,  kneeling 
upon  the  bare  floor  of  that  humble  home,  she  told  the 
dying  girl  the  truth.  The  girl's  awakening  soul  caught 
the  glory  of  the  far  off,  living  light  and  said,  "Oh,  I  am 
so  glad,  and  I  can  come  back  and  be  with  you  sometimes, 
and  I  Avon't  have  to  work  so  hard  morning,  noon  and 
night,  always  work,  work."  The  fevered  lips  murmured, 
1 '  Will  you  hold  my  -hands  until  I  go  ? " 

During  the  hours  of  consciousness  the  gentle,  tender- 
hearted sick  girl  said,  "Mrs.  Lord,  I  have  seen  your  angels 
and  they  are  beautiful.  Please  stay  with  me;  maybe  they 
would  go  away  if  you  leave  me."  The  gray  shadow  that 
had  followed  her  so  persistently  now  had  control.  Life 
had  succumbed  to  its  inevitable  sway.  A  heavenly  smile 
lighted  up  one  of  the  most  beautiful  faces  imaginable;  the 
eyes  grew  startlingly  set  and  fixed,  a  little  tender  clasp 
of  the  toil-worn  fingers,  and  dear  little  Minnie  had  joined 
the  angelic  throng. 

Thus  ended  a  beautiful  little  incident  that  revealed 
how  near  heaven  is  to  earth,  and  that  its  shadow  and  sun- 
shine closely  commingle.  Who  can  gauge  the  dividing 
line  and  scientifically  measure  the  distance?  Those  who 
come  to  us  from  their  angelic  homes,  who  come  on  love's 
white  wings  to  show  such  souls  the  way,  measure  all  dis- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  167 

tances.  To  know  thai  they  come,  as  did  this  simple,  unedu- 
eated,  hard-working  German  girl,  makes  the  world  better, 
braver,  nobler  and  \\  - 

During  Mrs.  Lord's  stay  in  Sheboygan  she  met  a 
stranger  on  the  street  and  said  to  him  in  German,  "Go  to 
your  garden,  your  wife  is  dying,  if  not  dead."  Fright- 
ened and  not  knowing  to  whom  he  spoke,  he  asked  what 
she  meant  and  who  she  was.  She  said,  "I  am  a  medium 
and  the  spirits  make  me  tell  you."  "Mine  Got,"  he  said, 
*'Ish  dot  so0"  -  Mrs.  Lord  said,  "I  am  stopping  at  the 
Testweed  House;  go  now.  and  when  you  come  back  eall 
and  tell  me  if  it  is  true."  The  German  hurried  home  and 
found  his  wife  dead  from  heart  disease. 

DRIFTING    ON    LAKE    MICHIGAN. 

Another  serious  incident  happened  while  she  was  at 
this  place.  She  had  wandered  down  to  the  lake,  and 
espying  a  skiff  tied  to  an  anchorage,  she  thoughtlessly  un- 
tied it  and  stepped  into  it  without  oars  or  anchor.  She 
began  to  rock  the  boat,  and  it  began  to  move  out  from 
the  shore  like  a  thing  bent  on  mischief;  farther  out  it 
went  at  each  rocking  motion  from  the  delighted  occupant, 
who  thought  she  could  as  readily  rock  herself  back.  There 
was  quite  a  breeze  and  this  gave  her  a  dangerous  but 
delightful  sensation,  in  this  her  crazy  flight  out  upon  un- 
eertain  waters.  The  afternoon  was  well-nigh  spent  when 
her  foolish  reasoning  came  to  the  test.  The  boat  resisted 
all  coaxing  and  all  attempts  to  rock  back  to  the  shore. 
The  sun  was  East  sinking  out  of  sight.  She  was  near 
sighted  and  could  not  see  the  shore.  The  skiff,  as  though 
winged,  seemed  to  fly  out  and  out  farther  away  as  the 
wind  freshened.  M;uid  did  not  lose  courage,  as  she  be- 
lieve.1   her  spirit    friends  would  come  to  her  rescue. 

Mr.  John  Gill,  working  on  a  pier  some  distance  away, 

heard  a  voice  distinctly  say.  '  T k  out  upon  the  waters 

and  see  a  skiff  oarless.  with  an  occupant:  go  to  the  rescue." 
He  accused  his  fellow  workmen  of  speaking  the  words, 
but  they  declared  they  had   not  spoken,     "Hark.    I  hear 


168  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

it  again."  They  all  strained  their  ears  and  eyes  sea- 
ward, but  could  not  discover  anything.  Again  the  voice 
spoke  and  said,  "Look  good."  They  procured  a  strong 
glass,  used  for  sighting  vessels,  and  distinctly  saw  the 
wayward  little  skiff  with  its  lone  occupant. 

The  sun  had  gone  down,  and  darkness  was  closing  in, 
when  a  cheerful  voice  called  to  her  that  she  should  be 
landed  safely.  She  told  her  rescuer  her  version  of  the 
reckless  escapade  and  how  she  had  foolishly  imagined 
that  she  could  as  easily  rock  the  skiff  back  as  to  go  out. 
He  told  her  how  he  was  directed  to  come  after  her  and 
she  said,  "Yes,  I  knew  they  would  save  me."  "Who?" 
he  said.  "Oh,  my  spirit  friends,"  she  replied.  She  ex- 
plained the  wonderful  gift  and  its  teachings.  In  after 
years  Maud  met  this  rescuer  in  Philadelphia  and  he  joy- 
fully told  her  that  he  was  quite  a  medium  and  had  been 
one  for  sometime. 

SPIRITS  FIND  A  LOST  SCARF  PIN. 

Her  husband,  upon  their  return  home  to  Fondulac, 
one  day  said,  "I  wish  the  spirits  would  do  a  certain 
thing  for  me."  Maud  had  given  him  a  valuable  scarf 
pin.  Coming  from  Fondulac  to  Sheboygan,  and  while 
passing  over  the  tender  from  the  passenger  car  to  the 
engine,  he  had  lost  it. 

A  few  mornings  after  his  loss,  reaching  out  to  un- 
fasten a  window  sash,  he  ejaculated,  "Look  at  this! 
Here  is  my  pin!"  Some  of  the  settings  were  out,  and 
pieces  of  tamarack  adhered  to  the  pin. 

DR.   DEHAVEN  USES  SURGICAL  INSTRUMENTS. 

I  had  a  patient  from  Milwaukee  by  the  name  of  Jack 
Kinderlin,  who  was  troubled  with  a  vicious  carbuncle, 
lie  came  to  have  me  operate  on  it,  when  Dr.  Dellaven 
volunteered  to  do  it  for  me  if  I  would  wait  a  day  or  two. 
My  patient  readily  consented  to  this  arrangement.  We 
darkened  the  room  and  I  placed  my  case  of  surgical  in- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  1G9 

struments  on  n  stand  and  the  patient  took  his  seat  beside 
the  stand.  We  formed  a  circle  around  the  patient  and 
the    stand    and    awaited    results.      Our    ears    were    attuned 

to  every  movement.     We  heard  the  instruments  move  as 

if  some  one  was  taking  them  up  for  examination.  Less 
than  three  feet  of  spaee  intervened  between  OS  and  the 
patient.  We  could  plainly  sense  every  movement.  We 
Ilea nl  the  instruments  laid  down  on  the  table  and  heard 
some  one  treating  the  patient.  In  less  than  five  minutes 
Dr.  DeHaven's  voice  said:  "I  am  through.  You  can 
now  examine."  We  lighted  the  lamp,  and  there  on  the 
stand  lay  the  instruments,  which  had  been  used,  not  clean 
as  I  had  placed  them  on  the  stand:  and.  by  their  side 
lay  the  core  of  the  carbuncle. 

Mrs.  Jane  Campbell,  visiting  me  at  the  time,  was 
present  at  this  operation.  Some  months  after  this  she 
•ped  on  a  needle.  I  could  only  find  a  small  portion 
of  the  needle,  although  I  made  several  examinations  for 
that  purpose.  Here  again  Dr.  DeHaven  came  to  my 
assistance. 

We  made  the  room  dark  as  before.  I  placed  my  case 
of  instruments  on  the  stand  as  before,  only  I  did  not 
open  the  case.  Mrs.  Campbell  took  her  seat  beside  the 
stand.  We  heard  the  case  open  and  the  sound  of  ex- 
perienced  fingers  running  over  the  instruments.  We 
heard  the  patient  give  expressions  of  pain;  and.  finally, 
she  said,  "My  foot    feels  better,  anyway." 

Dr.  DeHaven's  voice  told  Maud  to  put  out  her  hand, 
which  she  did,  when  a  piece  of  rusted  needle,  about  an 
inch  long,  was  placed  in  her  hand.  This  piece  just 
matched  the  piece  1  had  taken  out.  On  lighting  the  lamp, 
we  found  the  ease  of  instruments  open  and  I  saw 
that  the  proper  instruments  had  been  used.  They  were 
on  the  stand  stained  with  blood.     These  operations  sli 

superior   intelligence   and   skill   in   operating  so  sue 
fully   ami   so  quickly.      They  show   an   ability   to   see.   not 
only   in    the   dark,   but    far   enough    into   more   solid    mat- 
ter to  locate  the  foreign  substance.     My  instruments  were 


170  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

not  cutting  into  these  patients  under  any  hypnotic  hallu- 
cination, or  to  satisfy  any  unconscious  cerebral  theory, 
or  any  theory  of  apparitions,  visions  or  vibrations  recorded 
upon  the  astral  light,  or  any  theory  of  blind  force  act- 
ing through  or  upon  organized  matter,  or  any  force  act- 
ing in  any  way  excepting  on  the  theory  that  it  was  the  ex- 
carnate,  personal,  individual  spirit  force  of  Dr.  Peter 
Dellaven  performing  these  very  difficult  and  delicate 
operations. 

FACES  ON  THE  FROSTED  WINDOW  GLASS. 

The  frost  is  at  work  on  the  pane  tonight, 
Tracing  his  fancies — the  Artist  Sprite! 
His   fancies   so  exquisite,   dainty  and  rare, 
They  might  be  the  dreams  of  the  sleeping  air. 

— Anon. 

In  the  winter  of  1869  a  new  and  marvelous  develop- 
ment came  to  Maud.  We  first  noticed  faces  apparently 
etched  in  the  frost  on  the  window  panes.  My  attention 
was  principally  attracted  to  the  details.  These  mani- 
festations continued  for  some  two  weeks  or  more.  Some- 
times there  were  pictures  of  soldiers  carrying  guns ;  some- 
times landscapes  were  worked  out  in  detail.  Some  of  the 
faces  were  recognized  by  friends.  There  was  one  very 
notable  case  where  a  woman  who  had  become  separated 
from  her  mother  when  quite  young,  was  told  by  Mrs. 
Lord  that  the  face  on  the  glass  was  that  of  her  mother, 
still  living.  Later  on  she  found  her  mother  from  her  re- 
membrance of  the  face  on  the  window. 

People  came  from  all  parts  of  the  city  to  see  these 
spirit  pictures.  Photographers  came  to  take  and  preserve 
them  as  rare  curiosities  of  art  and  skill.  These  faces  were 
often  perfect,  even  to  the  details  of  beard,  moustache,  eye- 
brows and  features.  Sometimes  they  would  appear  on  the 
margin  of  newspapers,  three,  four  or  a  half  dozen  at  a 
time.  Sometimes  they  would  fade  and  others  come  in 
their  place  while  we  were  watching  them. 

I  knew  then  that  behind  the  scene  were  invisible  ar- 
tists,  whose   well    defined   lines   of  taste   and  beautv  had 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  171 

marked  an  era.  I  knew  thai  God  had  Benl  His  angeli 
to  do1  tin1  crystal  canvas  ti>  induce  thought.  These  beau- 
tiful   frosl    sketches  appeared   from   time  to  time  a1    my 

husband's  pla >f  business,  and  sometimes  in  our  home, 

when  .Maud  had  scarcely  graced  the  room  with  her  pres- 
ence through  the  day. 

REMARKABLE    HAND    DRAWING. 

About  this  time  we  experienced  another  phase  of 
spirit  manifestations.  Maud  could  not  herself  make  a 
drawing  of  any  little  image  that  most  children  delight 
to  indulge  in  with  their  pencils,  and  yet  we  could  throw 
a  shawl  over  her  lap,  place  paper  and  pencil  beneath  it, 
and  she  would  sketch  faces  with  wonderful  skill.  One 
evening  she  made  a  picture  of  a  man  who  was  recognised 
by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Annie  Remington,  who  was  stopping 
at  <>ur  house,  and  she  begged  the  privilege  of  keeping  it. 

iral  times  Maud  made  sketches  of  a  bust  with  a  com- 
posite head,  so  thai  it  represented  a  new  face  in  any  and 
every  way  you  might  turn  it.  Each  face  was  in  appear- 
ai.ee  of  a  different   nationality. 

One  very  cold  winter  evening  in  the  year  of  1869, 
some  pretty  little  flowers  were  brought  in  and  given  to  us. 
We  wondered  where  such  flowers  could  have  come  from, 
and  questioned  Clarence.  He  said  they  visited  all  the 
hot  house  gardens.  They  could  gel  into  them  all  with  ease, 
but  could  qoI  gel  the  flowers  out  until  at  one  garden  they 
discovered  a  broken  window.  The  neat  day  T  proposed  to 
Mr.  Hooker  thai  we  drive  over  to  this  particular  garden 
and  if  possible  find  the  broken  window.     We  went  and 

looked   very   carefully   and    found   the   place   where   a    pane 

had  been  broken,  as  stated  by  Clarence. 

A    NEW   BRA   hi   OUB    HOME. 

\    new    baby    in    the    house   was    not    a    common    event, 

nor  was  it  tin1  mere  idea  of  being  grandma  that  made  the 
event  more  memorable.  They  had  foretold  the  sex.  the 
day  and  the  hour  of  her  coming,  and  had  selected  a   name 


172  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

for  her.  They  gave  us  a  new  surprise  by  attending  at  her 
birth.  We  were  told  to  leave  the  room  and  to  wait  in 
the  sitting  room  below.  Our  curiosity  and  our  anxiety  was 
too  great,  and  we  tarried  just  outside  the  door.  We  could 
hear  all  that  was  said  and  done.  Suddenly  there  came  a 
heavy  rapping  all  about  us  and  we  made  a  quick  retreat 
down  stairs.  In  a  short  time  Clarence's  voice  called  us  to 
come.  On  entering  the  room  there  was  our  tiny  baby  girl, 
as  foretold,  nicely  wrapped  in  a  warm  cloth  which  I  had 
left  in  the  room,  and  with  a  shawl  folded  about  her.  Dr.. 
Dellaven,  by  whose  direction  I  had  made  many  wonder- 
ful cures  in  my  own  practice,  aided  by  Jesse  and  Clarence, 
were  Maud's  attendants.  There  might  have  been  otners, 
but  we  could  hear  and  recognize  only  the  voices  of  tnese 
three. 

Two  days  after  baby's  birth,  my  sister-in-law  came  for 
a  visit.  She  was  taken  suddenly  ill  and  lost  conscious- 
ness very  unexpectedly.  Maud  was  not  yet  up  and  I  had 
been  quite  reticent  in  speaking  about  the  sick  woman  to 
her.  I  was  alarmed  and  quietly  summoned  two  of  our 
neighbors,  Mrs.  Owen  Townsend  and  Mrs.  Smith,  wife  of 
the  Presbyterian  clergyman,  from  Maud's  room.  In  the 
greatest  possible  haste  I  reached  the  room  with  restoratives, 
but  before  I  could  make  use  of  them  we  were  nearly  par- 
alyzed with  astonishment  by  seeing  Maud  come  into  the 
room,  in  a  trance,  with  a  blanket  wrapped  about  her  in  In- 
dian style.  She  came  to  the  bedside,  stood  as  if  listening 
to  directions  given  by  some  spirit,  then  she  cautiously 
placed  her  hands  upon  the  dying  woman  for  a  minute, 
and  then  rubbed  her  over  the  region  of  the  heart  quite 
vigorously,  turning  her  head  occasionally  as  if  to  hear 
instructions.  Maud  then  picked  her  up  as  easily  as  she 
would  a  child  and  placed  her  upon  her  back,  and  treated 
her  again.  The  time  seemed  an  age  as  we  stood  and  looked 
on,  unable  to  offer  any  assistance.  The  patient  made  a 
gasp  or  two  and  then  respiration,  though  feeble,  was  es- 
tablished. We  were  silent  in  the  presence  of  a  superior 
intelligence  and  power.     This  startling  and  beautiful  dem- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  173 

onstration  of  spirit  power  was  like  a  benediction  from 
above, — like  a  glad  glory-ray  from  the  fountain  of  all 
wisdom. 

Still  in  the  trance,  Maud  returned  to  her  room,  placed 
herself  in  bed  and  was  sleeping:  when  we  arrived  there  a 
minute  later. 

Clarence  assured  us  that  she  was  so  thoroughly  pro- 
tected by  magnetism  with  which  they  had  surrounded  her. 
that  she  would  not  suffer  from  it,  and  she  did  not. 

SERENADE    THE    BABY. 

The  baby  was  in  due  time  apprised  that  she  was  to 
bear  the  name  Maude  Alberta  Lord.  We  all  thought  her 
a  little  the  sweetest  and  dearest  baby  in  the  wide  world. 
Our  spirit  friends  were  equally  pleased  with  her,  for  on 
the  night  when  they  christened  her,  they  took  possession 
of  a  closet  adjoining  Maud's  room,  where  we  kept  the 
musical  instruments  which  were  usually  brought  into  the 
seances,  consisting  of  a  music  box.  bells,  tambourine  and 
guitar,  and  gave  the  mother  and  baby  a  royal  serenade. 
The  most  wonderful  part  of  the  performance  was  t  hen- 
bringing  the  guitar  from  down  stairs.  Our  sick  woman 
thought  our  friends  from  the  city  were  congratulating  us 
upon  the  advent  of  a  new  baby  in  the  house. 

SPIRIT  CLARENCE  STKIKKS  A   MATCH    AND  BUILDS  A  FIRE. 

We  were  surprised  one  evening  about  six  o'clock,  by 
finding  a  fire  in  Maud's  room  up  stairs.  There  had  been 
no  fire  in  the  room  during  the  day  and  no  person  had 
been  in  the  room.  I  had  cleared  all  the  ashes  from  the 
stove  and  placed  the  wood  and  kindling  in  the  stove  ready 
for  the  match.  This  was  a  puzzle  till  Clarence  told  us 
he  di'l   it.  as  conditions  favored  his  doing  so. 

A    CONCERT   BY    A    RAND    OF    INDIAN'    BRAVES. 

Many  times  we  were  awakened  during  the  night  by 
music,  both  instrumental  and  vocal,  which  did  credit  to 
the  spirit  band.     Usually,  when  these  concerts  commenced, 


171  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Maud  would  be  asleep;  and,  on  being  awakened,  she  would 
ask  what  was  being  done,  and  Clarence  would  tell  her  tc 
keep  still  as  a  few  friends  had  called  for  a  concert.  We 
could,  from  <>ur  rooms  below,  hear  all  these  preliminaries. 
Sometimes  Ave  would  not  be  awakened  until  the  music 
commenced.  We  were  not  permitted  to  enter  the  room, 
for  fear  of  disturbing  the  conditions.  On  the  occasion 
of  an  entertainment  given  by  our  Indian  friends,  we  heard 
all  that  occurred,  as  their  coming  was  by  no  means  "on 
noiseless  wings." 

I  was  awakened  by  screams  from  the  room  occupied 
for  the  night  by  Maud  and  a  young  woman,  Miss  Lind, 
visiting  us.  The  Indians  were  in  full  force  in  the  room, 
as  r  judged  from  the  sounds.  They  danced  and  used  the 
guitar  in  beating  time  upon  the  bed  sufficiently  hard  to 
alarm  the  girls.  Both  girls  awoke  with  the  thought  of 
burglars,  and  screamed  in  their  fright.  The  scene  was 
surpassingly  ludicrous.  They  called  to  the  girl  in  the  ad- 
joining room.  She  went  to  the  door,  when  an  Indian 
told  her  she  could  not  enter.  She  opened  the  door  a  little, 
when  something  .was  thrust  through  the  opening  which 
deterred  her  from  entering,  and  she  gave  vent  to  a  scream, 
and  calling  to  me,  said,  "Oh,  dear,  the  spirits  are  in  Mrs. 
Lord's  room  and  won't  let  me  go  in." 

I  took  a  light  and  went  to  the  room  and  found  Maud 
and  her  friend  buried  in  the  bed  clothes,  which  were  tightly 
wound  around  their  heads.  It  was  with  some  difficulty 
that  I  could  uncover  their  heads  and  make  them  under- 
stand, or  recognize  my  voice.  The  room  looked  as  if  a 
cyclone  had  visited  it.  The  bed  was  tossed  and  tumbled, 
and  the  furniture  and  the  chairs  were  turned  upside  down. 
The  tambourine,  bell,  music  box  and  guitar  were  piled 
upon  the  bed,  while  other  articles  were  strewn  over  the 
floor  in  all  directions.  If  our  incorrigible  skeptic,  or  any 
other  person,  had  witnessed  this  work  of  the  invisibles, 
they  would  surely  have  been  convinced  of  spirit  material- 
ization. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  175 

DO    BPIKITS    TALK.    AND    \Y  1 1  \     DO    NOT    AI.I.    I1KAK    THEM  1 

There  is  do  guess  work  about  tliis  question.  I  know 
that  spirits  talk,  ami  find  the  elements  that  enables  them 
to  articulate  so  that  other  than  clairvoyant  ears  can  catch 
the  vibrations.  I  have  oever  entered  into  an  invest 
tion  of  the  processes  by  which  the  voice  is  formed,  but  I 
reasoD  that,  as  there  is  no  death,  the  spirit  must  be  in- 

d  with  all  of  its  inherent  faculties  after  its  transition. 
With  the  completing  of  the  mysterious  operation  of  ges- 
tation and  birth,  comes  the  unfoldment  and  development 
of  the  physical  body:  and  it  must  be  true  that  the  greater 
the  development  while  in  the  physical  body,  the  more  ad- 
vanced and  complete  are  the  spirit  forces  for  the  work  of 
manifestations.  Death  is  just  as  natural  and  necessary 
to  spiritual  existence  as  a  natural  birth  is  to  an  earthly 
existence,  and  is  a  part  of  the  grand  process  of  perfect- 
ing the  individuality  of  a  spirit. 

DEATH    IS   THE    CROWN    OF   LIFE! 

"Were  death  denied,  poor  man   would   live  in  vain; 
Were  death  denied,  to  live  would  not  be  life; 
Were  death  denied,  e'en  fools  would   wish  to  die. 
Death  wounds  to  cure;  we  fall,  we  rise,  we  reign; 
Spring   from   our   fetters,   fasten    in   the   skies. 
Where    blooming   Eden    withers    in    our    sight. 
Death  gives  us  more  than  was  in  Eden  lost; 
This  king  of  terrors  is  the  prince  of  peace. 
When    shall    I    die   to    vanity,    pain,    death? 
When  shall   I   die? — then   shall   I  live  forever." 

The  spirit,  having  passed  through  the  natural  condi- 
tions, is  a1  once  invested  with  all  the  faculties  belonging 
to  it  in  spirit  life,  and  is  vr:\(\y  and  equipped  to  acquire 
the  knowledge  and  ability  to  which  it  is  entitled.  Tf  it  is 
not  able  to  use  these  faculties,  why  not?     Tt  is  true  that  all 

spirits  have  not  mastered  these  laws,  and  only  a  few  can 
accomplish  this  wonderful  phenomenon  of  speech,  as  we 
hear  it.  but  the  fact  that  some  can  talk  so  that  ordinary 
ears  can  hear,  when  conditions  are  right,  is  too  well  es- 
tablished to  be  successfully  questioned. 


17C  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

THE  NATHAN  MURDER. 

This  tragedy,  which  occurred  in  1871,  will  be  recalled 
by  many.  The  murdered  man  was  in  independent  cir- 
cumstances, a  Hebrew  by  faith,  living  in  his  own  stately 
home  in  New  York,  and  was  murdered  in  his  bed  and 
robbed. 

The  evening  this  terrible  tragedy  took  place  in  New 
York  our  family  were  alone  in  Fondulac,  Wisconsin.  Maud 
was  entranced  and  commenced  to  describe  a  man  approach- 
ing a  house.  She  also  described  the  surroundings,  the 
parlor,  and  commented  upon  a  couple  of  pictures  upon 
the  wall.  'She  then  said,  "There  are  some  mattresses 
piled  up  in  one  room;  it  looks  as  though  they  were  house 
cleaning.  I  see  this  man  stealthily  ascend  the  stairs;  he 
passes  through  one  room  into  the  other  and  approaches 
a  bed.  There  is  an  old  man  lying  there  asleep;  he  creeps 
close  up  to  him."  At  this  moment  she  threw  up  her  arms 
and  with  a  wild  cry  of  ' '  Murder !  Murder !  Murder ! ' '  sud- 
denly became  rigid  and  fell  from  the  chair  like  one  dead. 
The  description  she  gave  of  the  house,  the  appearance  of 
the  room,  the  style  of  doors,  the  number  of  pictures  on 
the  wall  of  the  parlor,  and  the  ill  fated  room  did  not  vary 
from  the  description  of  the  Nathan  residence  given  by  the 
papers  the  next  day.  From  day  to  day  she  clairvoyantly 
kept  pace  with  the  investigation,  and  gave  us  many  de- 
tails which  the  papers  did  not  have,  but  which  were  cor- 
roborated some  months  later  by  detectives  who  visited  her. 
She  described  a  woman  in  a  straw  colored  silk  dress,  wear- 
ing a  magnificent  bracelet  containing  a  secret  spring.  She 
even  traced  the  bracelet  to  the  manufacturers,  Ball  & 
Black,  of  New  York.  Within  this  bracelet,  she  said,  there 
was  an  important  paper  connecting  this  woman  with  the 
murder. 

The  detective  found  a  perfect  corroboration  of  these 
statements.  She  also  described  the  missing  watch  and  its 
place  of  concealment.  Gave  the  name  of  the  Benjamin 
Hotel  and  the  number  of  the  room  where  important  busi- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  177 

ness  was  transacted  between  the  guilty  parties,  and  much 
more  that  would  not  be  well  to  mention  here. 

The  following  year.  1872,  we  took  up  our  residence 
in  Chicago,  when  a  detective  named  Sam  Felke  came  to 

ilt  Mrs.  Lord  about  this  murder.  Her  memory  of 
the  vision  was  very  clear  and  she  went  over  the  former 
statement  with  wonderful  accuracy.  He  was  deeply  in- 
sted,  as  it  all  accorded  with  what  he  already  knew, 
excepting  her  statement  about  the  hotel.  She  must  have 
the  name  wrong,  as  he  knew  every  hotel  in  New  York. 
He  was  sure  there  was  no  such  house.  She  insisted  that 
there  was  a  hotel  there,  as  she  described  it:  also  as  to  the 
appearance  of  the  room.  The  detective  visited  New  York 
and  returned  with  the  information  that  he  was  thoroughly 
beaten,  for  he  found  the  Benjamin  House,  the  room  and 
all,  just  as  Maud  had  stated.  He  was  then  anxious  for 
further  knowledge.  She  told  him  she  could  go  no  further 
with  him  under  the  stimulus  which  incited  him  in  the 
matter. 

DR.    DE    HAVENS    MABVELOUS    SKILL. 

While  living  in  Chicago  our  baby  was  vaccinated  and 
as  a  consequence  became  very  sick.  We  sent  for  her  moth- 
er, who  was  away  holding  a  seance.  She  arrived  to  find 
her  beyond  the  help  of  all  earthly  skill.  I  had  had  many 
9  in  my  practice,  seemingly  more  serious  than  this,  and 
yet  this  resisted  all  my  efforts.  I  called  in  other  and  em- 
inent practitioners,  but  nothing  eould  be  done.  When 
the  mother  arrived,  the  baby  was  unconscious  and  to  all 
appearances  she  was  then  dead.  The  physician  T  had 
called  pronounced  her  dead.  When  Maud  arrived  she  in- 
sisted on  taking  her  in  her  arms  and  in  holding  both  her 
little  hands  in  her  own.  Hour  after  hour  passed,— the 
day  lengthened  into  night  and  the  hours  slowly  pa 
until    two   o'clock    in    the   morning,    and    still    the   anxious. 

heartbroken  mother  held  her  treasure,— her  all.  None  could 
relieve  her.  she  would  not  permit  any  of  us  to  take  her 
precious    burden    for    one    moment.      Only    a    mother    can 


178  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

measure  the  agony  of  that  long  vigil.  All  her  weary  feel- 
ings,— such  weariness  as  comes  to  mediums  in  the  exercise 
of  their  gifts, — were  forgotten  in  that  great  overmaster- 
ing mother's  love. 

Check  all  hasty,  impatient  thought,  especially  to 
mothers.  By  the  insuperable  law  of  compensation  will 
you  pay,  at  some  point  on  life's  way,  for  every  thought- 
less word  and  act.  It  is  the  law  from  which  there  is  no 
escape.  Nothing  so  crushes  and  agonizes  the  spirit  as  re- 
gret, nothing  so  exalts  and  beautifies  it  as  truth  told  and 
duly  performed. 

Language  fails  to  picture  any  devotion  on  the  part 
of  children  that  can  compensate  such  mother  love  as  great 
souls  all  over  the  world  are  daily,  hourly  giving;  such  as 
only  a  mother  can  feel  and  know.  It  is  the  perfected 
ma  infestation  of  the  primal,  creative  force  of  the  universe. 

Her  wise  controls  were  not  idle.  She  held  the  living 
citadel  until  the  conditions  permitted  the  preparation  of 
the  remedy  for  the  blood-poison,  caused  by  this  modern, 
barbaric  practice  of  putting  into  our  veins  that  which  na- 
ture never  intended  should  be  there, — all  because  this 
modern,  experimental  science  knows  no  better.  Dr.  De 
Haven  then  took  control  and  directed  me  to  take  a  sheet  of 
foolscap  paper,  place  it  outside  on  the  porch  and  to  go 
after  it  in  fifteen  minutes.  When  it  was  time,  I  looked  for 
the  paper,  but  could  not  find  it. 

In  a  few  minutes  Dr.  DeHaven  told  me  to  look  again. 
This  time  I  found  it  just  where  I  had  placed  it.  On  the 
paper  was  quite  a  quantity  of  dark  brown  or  black  powder. 
He  told  me  to  give  the  baby  a  certain  amount  every  fifteen 
minutes,  and  await  the  effect.  In  a  short  time,  probably  five 
minutes  after  the  second  dose,  we  detected  a  slight  pulsa- 
tion of  the  heart.  He  then  cold  me  to  give  the  same  dose 
again  and  when  the  baby  regained  consciousness,  she  would 
ask  for  something  to  eat  and  for  me  to  give  her  all  the 
sponge-cake  she  might  Avant. 

There  were  no  conditions,  no  "ifs"  about  his  direc- 
tions, nothing  empirical ;  he  knew  what  effect  his  remedy 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  179 

WOllld    produce.       Il    resulted    exactly    as    lie   said    it    would, 

and  we  gave  her  the  cake  for  which  she  asked.  The  next 
day  our  baby  was  well  and  playing  about  the  house.  She 
had   been   called   hack-   from   the  other  side!      for  what? 

Time   would  tell.   She  had   heeu   held  in   the   body  all  those 

Long,  weary  hours  by  a  mother's  Love     the  greatesl   force 

in  all  the  uu  ad  a  mother's  vital  forces,  until  dark- 

ness opened  nature's  greal  Laboratory  and  permitted  spirit 
intelligence,  with  its  matchless  skill,  to  prepare  the  remedy. 
I  kepi  some  of  this  powder  for  years  ami  used  it  with 
absolute  success  iii  eases  of  blood-poisoning.  1  could  never 
get   it    analyzed. 

Many  limes,  when  my  eases  baffled  me  and  1  knew 
not  what  to  do.  Dr.  DeHaven  came  to  my  assistance.  There 
were  never  any  experiments  in  his  practice,— in  his  science. 
Positive  results  were  predicted  and  were  as  sure  to  follow 
as  night    follows  day. 

The  Indian  guide,  "Kaolah."  who  seemed  to  have  been 
with  Maud  from  her  very  earliest  recollections  pre- 

pared  remedies   in   daylight,   in  our   presence,   seemingly 
out  of  the  invisible  air:  and  at.  other  times  would 
herbs  and  roots  and  direcl  us  ;is  to  their  combination  and 
method  of  preparation  which  were  always  effective. 

A    SPIRIT    BATTER?       ELECTRICITY,    or     WHAT': 

Without  attempting  to  answer  the  auestion,  it  is  suf- 
ficient to  state  thai  the  force  was  magical,  whatever  it  was. 
Many  people  will   recall  the  figure  of  a   fair-sized,  well- 

jed  man  wheeled  about  the  streets  of  Chicago  by  a 
colored  servant  in  '12  or  '7.1.  Mr.  Klmer  Kocers  had  suf- 
fered  for  years  with  a   rheumatic  trouble  that    had  drawn 

his  hands  out  of  shape  and  crippled  his  legs  so  that  he 
!  not  dn  If  or  walk.     lie  visited  many  special- 

ists and  noted  physicians  in  this  country  and  Europe.  Meet- 
ing him  in  the  streets  one  day  I  was  impressed  to  stop  and 

talk  with  him.      He  told   n f  h  -   to  obtain   relief 

and  that   not  one  of  those  he  had  employed  at   greal   ex- 


180  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

pense  had  done  him  the  least  good.  I  told  him  I  had  a 
daughter  who  was  a  medium  and  whom  I  considered  the 
greatest  magnetic  healer  in  the  world.  I  related  how  she 
had  relieved  and  cured  many,  and  all  kind  of  cases  that 
our  profession  could  not  correctly  diagnose  or  successfully 
treat,  and  that  I  believed  she  could  cure  him. 

He  came  to  see  us,  and  as  soon  as  Maud  saw  him  she 
said,  "Yes,  I  can  cure  you."  He  begged  her  to  try  it; 
anything  to  be  released  from  his  terrible  suffering  and 
helpless  condition. 

When  she  commenced  to  treat  him,  a  peculiar  buzzing 
sound,  like  that  of  an  electric  battery  in  operation,  could 
be  distinctly  heard,  apparently  coming  from  the  corner 
of  the  room,  up  near  the  ceiling,  about  ten  feet  from  where 
Maud  stood.  This  continued  during  all  the  time  she  was 
treating  him.  We  were  all  very  greatly  surprised,  as  noth- 
ing like  it  had  ever  occurred  before.  Maud  could  not  tell 
what  it  was.  She  could  see  what  appeared  to  be  a  little 
white  box,  six  or  eight  inches  square,  up  in  the  corner 
against  the  dark  wall  paper,  which  was  manipulated  by 
two  white  hands.  None  of  us  were  able  to  see  anything, 
but  we  could  all  distinctly  hear  and  locate  the  buzzing 
noise.  When  she  ceased  her  treatment,  the  sound  stopped. 
Almost  from  the  moment  she  placed  her  hands  upon  his 
crippled  and  partially  paralyzed  hands  and  limbs,  we 
noticed  a  change  in  his  expression  and  general  appear- 
ance. He  said  that  sometimes  the  current  from  her  hands 
caused  him  excruciating  pain ;  at  other  times  he  felt  as 
though  paralyzed.  She  diagnosed  his  case  so  accurately, 
as  to  the  time  the  trouble  commenced  and  its  progress  up 
to  the  time  he  came  to  her,  that  his  faith  in  her  was  com- 
pletely established.  She  told  him  it  came  from  a  fall  re- 
ceived years  before,  in  which  his  spine  and  brain  were  in- 
jured. This,  he  remembered,  but  had  never  connected  it 
with  his  trouble.  She  gave  him  only  three  treatments.  Dur- 
ing each  treatment  the  same  buzzing  sound  from  the  spirit 
battery  was  heard  as  long  as  she  was  treating  him. 

The  three  treatments  resulted  in  a  complete  cure.    My 


CONTIXriTY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  181 

own  conclusions  arc  that  all  magnetic  healing  is  dependent 
upon  the  aid  of  spirit  power  using  the  magnetic  aura  of 
the  physical  healer. 

LOST   ARTICLES   RETURNED. 

On  one  occasion,  the  baby  had  lost  one  of  her  new 
shoes,  when  out  riding  with  Maud  and  Mr.  Hooker.  The 
loss  was  not  noticed  until  she  was  brought  into  the  house. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Draper  had  called,  and  as  she  sat  visiting 
with  them,  Maud  suddenly  looked  toward  the  back  parlor 
doors  and  said.  "How  strange!  There  comes  a  trio  of 
spirits  from  the  back  parlor,  clapping  their  hands  and 
saying:  'We've  done  it.  we've  done  it.'"  I  could  not 
then  understand  what  was  meant,  but  it  was  made  very 
plain  to  us  a  little  later.  "When  the  hour  for  retiring  came. 
my  husband  found  the  little  shoe  under  the  pillow. 

At  another  time,  when  getting  out  of  the  carriage,  on 
Madison  Street,  .Maud  lost  a  fur-lined  glove.  That  even- 
ing a  German  friend  named  Wymann,  a  jeweler,  called. 
He  left  his  overcoat  in  the  lower  hall  and  came  up  stairs, 
where  we  were  sitting.  During  the  evening.  Clarence  told 
Maud  to  ask  Mr.  "Wymann  to  look  in  his  overcoat  pocket. 
We  all  rushed  to  see  what  had  happened.  When,  lo!  Mr. 
Wymann  drew  from  his  pocket  the  missing  glove.  Sur- 
prise reigned  supreme  and  Maud  appealed  to  Clarence  to 
explain.  He  said  the  glove  was  dropped  in  such  a  man- 
ner that  they  could  secrete  it  until  this  gentleman  passed, 
and  then  they  slipped  it  into  his  pocket. 

PROPHECY  VERIFIED. 

In  the  month  of  August.  1886.  the  shadow  of  the  Death 
Angel  fell  upon  our  little  cottage.  There  was  a  vacant 
chair  at  the  head  of  the  table.  We  had  no  power  to  stay 
the  ti<le  that  for  eight  long  months  had  been  carrying  Mr. 
Hooker  out  towards  the  other  shore.  A  little  while  pre- 
vious to  his  demise  our  Maud  came  home  and  brought 
with  her  Mrs.  Ladd  of  the  Catholic  faith,  a  lady  of  culture 


182  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

and  most  pleasing  manners.  Her  mediumistic  powers  were 
very  beautifully  unfolded  and  blended  so  finely  with 
Maud's  that  the  angel  band  seemed  to  meet  with  no  re- 
sistance in  accomplishing  their  most  sacred  and  wonderful 
mission.  After  pleasant  greetings,  dear  Clarence  controlled 
Maud  and  gave  Mr.  Hooker  a  joyous  greeting  and  out- 
lined to  him  the  beauty  and  activity  of  spirit  life,  the  joy 
and  pleasure  awaiting  him,  and  told  him  of  the  friends  of 
other  days  who  stood  ready  to  receive  him. 

In  the  evening  Maud  gave  us  a  beautiful  address,  af- 
ter which.  Mrs.  Ladd  addressed  a  few  words  to  Mr.  Hooker, 
and  then  sang  an  Italian  air  with  excpiisite  sweetness  and 
pathos.  The  next  evening  we  invited  the  attending  physi- 
cians, and  sat  around  the  bed.  Soon  Jesse  Wilbourn,  a 
brother  of  our  Clarence,  came  laden  with  beautiful 
thoughts,  voiced  in  choicest  language.  Mrs.  Ladd's  con- 
trol chanted  some  peculiar  foreign  and  spirit  airs.  Aracco, 
one  of  her  advanced  guides,  rendered  in  his  native  tongue, 
and.  in  an  independent  and  powerful  voice,  a  grand  musical 
selection.  While  this  was  being  done,  a  beautiful  white 
canopy,  with  trimmings  of  silver  lace  and  tassels,  seemed 
to  be  suspended  over  the  bed.  Bright  lights  floated  every- 
where around  us,  and  faces  came  so  near  that  Mr.  Hooker 
was  overjoyed  in  the  recognition  of  a  sister  who  was  very 
dear  to  him  in  this  life,  and  who  thus  watched  the  hour 
when  she  could  greet  him  upon  the  other  shore.  The  next 
day  they  bade  us  good-bye  and  left  for  New  York. 

HOW   WE    LOVED    HER. 

In  all  the  years  that  Maud  was  an  inmate  of  our  home, 
and  in  later  years,  when  she  came  to  visit  us,  under  all 
conditions,  and  in  the  most  trying  circumstances,  I  never 
heard  an  unpleasant  or  complaining  word  fall  from  her 
lips,  or  saw  a  frown  on  her  countenance.  She  was  always 
pleasant  and  gracious  to  all  people.  She  was  grateful  for 
any  slight  act  of  kindness,  and  was  constantly  doing  *or 
others.     She  gave  freely  to  other's  needs  and  never  took  a 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  183 

thought  for  herself.  Ber  joy  was  in  making  others  happy. 
She  was  always  happy  in  the  country,  in  the  woods  among 
the  flowers.  She  would  talk  to  them  and  attend  them  as 
though  they  understood  and  appreciated  her  tender  solic- 
itude. She  seemed  to  be  in  tunc  with,  and  attuned  to  all 
the  infinite  forces  of  nature.  She  seemed  a  part  with,  and 
of  nature's  melody  and  of  its  grand  anthems.  We  all 
loved  her  with  a  holy  adoration,—  as  something  different, 
something  beyond  our  comprehension.  She  could  not  be 
measured  by  known  standards,  or  understood  from  our 
standpoint.  Xo  wonder  she  was  called  "The  Daughter  of 
the  Orient."  She  did  not  belong  on  our  plane  of  action. 
A  strange,  exotic  flower  on  foreign  soil,  doing  the  Masters 
work. 

It  is  impossible  to  write  all  the  startling  and  important 
incidents  that  came  to  me  during  those  years  of  investi- 
gation. I  would  as  soon  doubl  there  was  such  a  person  as 
.Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord,  as  to  doubt  what  I  have  seen  and  writ- 
ten. There  was  a  time,  however,  when  I  would  have  been 
afraid  of  persons  believing  as  I  do.  My  good  old.  shouting 
Methodist  mother  tried  to  educate  me  to  believe  whatever 
our  teachers  and  ministers  told  us;  that  we  must  not  think 
and  act  independently  or  contrary  to  their  interpretation 
of  the  Bible.  If  the  continuity  of  life  be  a  fact.  — be  the 
l.iir,  we  are  all  subject  to  it,  and  must  carry  with  us  the 
likeness  of  ourselves  and  reflect  just  what  we  are  and  just 
what  we  have  been  in  this  life.  Each  one  must  personate 
himself.  Death  cannot  possibly  change  our  characters,  or 
our  individual  selves,  so  as  to  make  us  appear  what  we 

have  not  been,  any  more  than  a  canary  ean  become  an 
eagle.  <  Mir  individual  lines  of  life  are  definitely  marked. 
Thoughl  and  consummated  action  have  made  our  charac- 
ters If  we  are  bad  and  desi<_rnin.!_r  persons  here,  we  must 
be-in  where  we  ]efi  off.  where  death  and  the  new  life  finds 
us.  No  affirmation  of  faith  can  change  OUT  condition  at 
the  time  we  enter  the  new  life  any  more  than  the  leopard 
can  change  his  spots  at  will.  Spiritualism  teaches  me  the 
grandeur  of  a  true  and  unblemished   life:  to  never  defile, 


184  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

or  profane  the  residence  of  the  spirit ;  to  be  true  to  every 
conviction  of  right. 

Fondulac,  Wisconsin,  1886. 

CONCLUSION. 

It  is  a  year  later.  Our  Maud  has  returned  from  her 
first  visit  to  California.  The  Spiritual  Camp  Meetings  in 
the  East  are  closed  and  she  has  been  with  us  once  more, 
and  I  resume  my  pen  to  relate  the  fulfillment  of  the 
strangest  part  of  the  strange  prophecy  of  the  Oriental  Mas- 
ter, made  on  that  beautiful  Sabbath  morning  in  June  so 
long  ago,  yet  seeming  as  but  yesterday,  so  rapidly  do  the 
years  go  when  we  have  passed  the  three  score  mile  stone. 
Eleven  years  have  passed  since  Maud,  for  good  and  suf- 
ficient reasons  obtained  a  divorce  from  my  son.  She  is  now 
in  California  with  another  husband,  living  in  a  beautiful 
home  among  the  orange  groves.  Our  blue-eyed  baby,  now 
a  beautiful  young  girl  of  fifteen,  was  also  with  us.  My 
son  and  I  are  living  at  home  alone. 

Is  Maud's  husband  the  stranger  so  minutely  and  in- 
delibly impressed  on  my  mind? 

I  will  tell  you  that  you  may  know  as  I  know,  that 
"Angels  are  given  charge"  over  Maud  and  her  glorious 
mission. 

What  a  royal  benediction  her  coming  was  to  me. 

In  the  pleasure  and  excitement  of  her  visit,  I  en- 
tirely forgot  the  prophecy,  so  unlike  was  her  husband  to 
the  image  of  the  stranger  who  had  come  to  us  in  those 
•visions  and  dreams  of  the  night.  We  had  a  most  delight- 
ful visit,  and  I,  claiming  Maud  as  a  daughter,  also  claimed 
him  as  a  son.  We  discussed  the  events  of  the  past ;  and,  in 
reviewing  the  incidents  we  recalled  the  prophecy.  All  was 
correct,  excepting  he  did  not  resemble  the  stranger.  Maud 
and  I  laughed  and  said  we  guessed,  if  the  prophecy  was  to 
be  fully  verified  she  had  married  the  wrong  man.  Every- 
thing else  was  as  predicted.  The  new  husband  was  a  con- 
tractor and  builder  of  waterworks  and  railroads,  and  was 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  185 

not  a  newspaper  man.  He  did  not  fill  the  description  in 
this  particular!  neither  did  he  wear  a  full  beard.  He  list- 
ened to  our  story  with  evident  incredulity.  We  described  the 
Btranger  and  told  him  about  the  prophecy,  as  I  have  re- 
lated it.  He  smiled,  but  made  no  answer.  He  was  a  con- 
sistent believer  in  our  philosophy,  and  I  imagined  our  story 
might  cause  him  to  think  it  foreboded  a  separation  for 
him,  if  that  part  of  the  prophecy  was  yet  to  be  completed. 

He  left  us  for  a  few  days  to  visit  Rock  Island,  III.,  and 
Davenport.  Iowa,  where  he  had  formerly  been  in  busi! 
Leaving  Maud  and  our  granddaughter,  now  his  daughter, 
with  us.     He  returned  and  in  a  short  time  they  left  for 
California. 

A  day  or  two  before  they  left,  on  going  into  the  par- 
lor, I  saw  a  blue  plush  case  on  the  center-table,  contain- 
ing  the  photograph  of  a  man.  The  photograph  was  done 
in  India  ink.  I  put  on  my  glasses  to  take  a  better  look 
at  it.     I  knew  there  was  no  such  case  in  the  house. 

To  my  great  astonishment,  it  was  a  beautiful  likeness 
of  the  Stranger— perfect  in  every  detail! 

I  started  with  it  in  my  hand  for  Maud's  room  and 
met  her  at  the  door.  "Oh.  Maud,  where  did  this  come 
from0    This  is  the  man  you  should  have  married." 

"Why  so.  mama:  what  makes  you  say  that?" 

"Don't  you  see,  don't  you  remember  that  face?  It's 
the  Stranger  of  our  Oriental's  prediction  and  so  true  a  like- 
ness." 

•   it    is."  sin-  said,  "but.  mama,  it  is  Mr.  Drake's 
picture,  taken  when  he  Lived  in  Davenport." 

s,,  it  was.  After  hearing  our  story,  he  went  to  Daven- 
port on  business  and  brought  it  back  with  him.  Without 
saying  anything  to  me,  he  left  it  where  I  could  see  it.  to 

my  memory  and  the  accuracy  of  our  story.  The  pho- 
tograph, as  he  thru  told  us.  had  been  taken  by  a  photog- 
rapher in  Davenport,  named  P.  B.  Jones,  whose  gallery 
was  on  th rner  of  Brandy  and  Third  streets.    Jones  was 

a  spiritualist,  and  in  Later  years,  not  liking  the  name  of 
Jones,    changed    and   took    his    middle   name,    and    is    now 


386  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

known  by  the  name  of  Dr.  P.  J.  Barrington.  He  is  the 
author  of  several  spiritual  books  and  well  known  to  the 
spiritualists  of  the  country.  The  photograph  was  finished 
in  India  ink  by  another  spiritualist  named  Pryor.  Both 
were  believers  in  our  philosophy,  as  stated  by  the  Oriental. 
Both  of  these  men  were  very  persistent  in  taking  his  pho- 
tograph and  doing  it  in  ink,  and  then  they  presented  it  to 
him,  when,  as  he  told  us,  he  did  not  care  for  it.  Barring- 
ton,  or  Jones,  was  a  very  able  man,  a  clear  logical  thinker. 
Everybody  in  Davenport  held  him  in  high  regard  as  an 
honest,  conscientious  citizen. 

Mr.  Drake  was,  at  the  time  the  photograph  was  taken, 
city  editor  of  the  Daily  Davenport  Democrat,  and  later, 
from  1870  until  1880,  was  owner  and  editor  of  the  Daily 
Rock  Island,  Illinois,  Argus,  at  which  time  he  went  to 
Texas  and  engaged  in  other  business.  Thus  it  is  that  our 
prophecy  was  verified  in  detail,  and  I  now  await  the  inci- 
dents yet  to  come. 

I  close  these,  to  me,  strange,  marvelous  and  deeply 
interesting,  incidents  in  the  life  of  a  daughter  whom  we 
always  loved  and  whose  mediumship  covers  the  whole  range 
of  spiritual  phenomena,  She  never  lowered  the  moral  tone 
of  our  beautiful  philosophy,  and  none  stand  higher  in  the 
estimation  of  the  public.  That  the  other  incidents  fore- 
told by  the  grand  Oriental  master  will  come  to  pass  in  the 
fulfillment  of  their  plans,  I  do  not  doubt. 
Yours  very  truly, 

Laura  A.  Hooker,  M.  D. 
Fondulac,  Wis.,  Nov.,  1887. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

LIFE   IN   CHICAGO. 

In  1871  Mrs.  Lord  moved  to  Chicago  and  gave  all 
of  her  time  to  the  demonstration  of  spiritual  phenomena 
and  philosophy.  Some  of  the  wealthy  people  of  that  city 
offered  to  purchase  a  home  on  the  "aristocratic"  South 
Side  and  present  it  to  her.  if  she  would  exercise  her  gifts 
exclusively  for  the  select,  the  wealthy  and  the  fashionable, 
as  AppoUonius  of  Tyana  did  in  Christ's  time.  They  argued 
that  such  a  course  would  make  spiritualism  popular-,  that 
she  was  just  the  one  to  do  it.  They  were  delighted  with 
her  personality  and  the  genuineness  of  the  phenomena  in 
her  seances,  with  the  principles  she  taught  and  the  exam- 
ple she  set  for  them.  But  they  did  not  feel  at  home,  or 
at  ease,  in  the  presence  of  those  of  extreme  poverty  who 
often  attended  her  meetings,  and  who  were  sometimes  given 
more  attention  in  the  seance  than  they  received.  Jeweled 
hands  could  not  clasp  with  ease  the  hard,  calloused  hand  of 
toil,  and  they  could  not  meet  God's  poor  and  the  unfor- 
tunate in  the  spirit  of  universal  brotherhood.  Poverty, 
humiliation  and  trials  had  never  conic  to  them,  as  they 
had  to  Mrs.  Lord  in  her  young  days,  to  touch  their  souls 
with   Charity's  magic   wand,  or  to   illuminate   undeveloped 

in  their  being.  To  the  credit  of  some  of  these  peo- 
ple, be  it  said,  they  approved  Mrs.  Lord's  refusal  of  their 
well-meant  offer. 

He.  or  she.  who  has  never  known  sorrowful  adver- 
sities has  only  half  lived,  and  does  but  in  part  know  the 
world. 

Mrs.  Lord's  doors  were  open   to  all  classes.     The  poor 

were  always  welcome  to  the  full  exercise  of  her  gifts,  and 

the  needy  never  went  away  empty-handed      She  was  eagerly 


188  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

sought  by  people  of  all  religions,  all  beliefs,  all  isms, 
and  even  those  with  no  belief.  The  wealthy  and  fashion- 
able continued  to  seek  her.  The  learned  and  those  who  im- 
agined themselves  learned  came  to  consult  her  upon  all 
questions,  foolish,  wise  and  otherwise.  People  sought  her 
from  far  and  near.  Some  came  to  expose,  and  others  to 
know  the  truth.  Many  who  came  to  jeer  and  scoff,  went 
away  to  rejoice  in  tears  of  repentance  that  spirit  return 
was  a  proven  fact.  Thousands  of  Chicago's  prominent 
men  and  women  were  convinced,  while  the  unthinking  and 
illogical  were  completely  mystified. 

In  the  very  beginning  of  her  public  work  she  adopted 
a  plan  to  which  she  always  adhered  and  which  gave  the 
public  great  confidence  in  her.  She  would  never  permit 
any  one  to  pay  anything  for  her  work,  unless  she  and  they 
were  both  thoroughly  satisfied  with  what  they  received. 
Thus  she  disarmed  skeptics  and  won  her  way  to  great  pub- 
lic favor,  as  a  thoroughly  Christian  woman,  in  thought 
and  act. 

When  she  lived  at  251%  Park  Avenue,  a  gentleman 
named  William  Tilden  called  and  stated  that  he  repre- 
sented the  M.  E.  Church.  He  came  to  ask  what  would  be 
her  price  to  give  up  her  public  work  for  the  devil. 

She  listened  to  his  reasons  for  such  a  request,  and  then 
replied,  "In  your  ignorance  of  the  truths  and  precepts 
we  teach,  you  are  mistaken.  You  have  acted  without  rea- 
soning and  without  first  seeking  any  explanation  of  the 
subject  you  condemn.  In  the  truths  and  facts  we  dem- 
onstrate there  is  nothing  inconsistent  with  Christ's  teach- 
ing and  practice.  We  only  demonstrate  to  your  reason 
what  you  so  earnestly  ask  us  to  believe.  Neither  is  there 
anything  in  our  demonstrations  inconsistent  with  good 
morals,  cleanly  lives  and  Christian  conduct.  Nor  is  there 
anything  contradictory  to  the  laws  of  physical  science." 

She  was  then  controlled  and  spoke  in  a  voice  most  ex- 
quisitely attuned  to  the  melody  of  the  celestial  spheres,  as 
he  afterwards  related.  She  told  him  of  all  the  important 
changes  and  leading  incidents  of  his  life.    In  the  full  light 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  189 

of  the  ooon-day  sun.  his  dear  mother  ••aim.'  first,  inde- 
pendent of  the  medium,  and  placed  her  hand  upon  his 
head  so  that  he  felt  and  recognised  the  old-time  touch.  Then 
followed  his  father,  brothers  and  sisters,  and  the  friends 
he  thought  safe  within  the  limits  of  his  theological  heaven, 
all  of  whom  he  recognized.  His  soul  was  touched  with  the 
God-sent  truth,  and  in  after  years  hfi  came  again  and  again 
to  seek  instructive  and  holy  communion  with  his  loved  ones. 
To  his  belief  he  had  added  positive  knowledge.  It  made  his 
religion  all  the  more  beautiful,  and  made  him  a  more 
devout  worshipper.  He  recognized  the  universal  law  of 
spirit  return  and  he  did  not  fear  to  talk  it  to  his  many 
friends. 

THE    INVOLUTION    OF    GENIUS. 

"Almighty   Wisdom  never  acts   in  vain. 
Nor  shall  the  soul,  on  which  it  has  bestow'd 
Such  powers,  e'er  perish  like  an  earthly  clod." 

Thus  wrote  Jenyns,  and  thus  think  all  those  who  claim 
that  the  race  is  the  product  of  all  that  has  passed.  The 
mingling  of  all  races,  all  forms  of  belief,  all  modes  of 
thought  on  this  continent,  has  produced  results  that  are 
already  reacting  upon  the  old  world.  Here,  it  has  produced 
a  new  man  and  a  new  woman,  with  new  thought.  The 
new  man  has  correlated  his  facts  taken  from  all  sources, 
and  has  dared  to  proclaim  his  conclusions.  The  new  wo- 
man has  ignored  the  old  Roman  law  and  dares  to  be  heard 
in  public.  Recognizing  the  dynamic  force  of  thought  in 
creation.  — the  intelligence  that  creates  and  beautifies  all 
things,  she  is  applying  this  magic  force  to  the  production 
of  genius.     All  geniuses  have  great  mothers. 

Handicapped  by  customs  and  forms,  nature  has  been 
obliged  to  lake  woman  unawares,  to  seek  the  simpler  walks 
of  life  to  produce  the  geniuses  and  thinkers  who  have 
startled  ecclesiastical  domination  and  dared  to  provoke 
science  into  new  and  untried  fields.  Spiritual  science, 
from  the  bright  other  side  of  life,  is  opening  the  way.  The 
coming  of  these  angel  teachers  has  long  been  delayed  by 


190  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

prejudice  and  ignorance.  They  are  now  here  to  stay,  to 
help  those  who  have  developed  sufficient  brain  and  ac- 
quired faculties  and  courage  to  reason.  They  are  here  to 
help  humanity  to  greater  progress,  to  higher  and  better 
thought. 

Thought  builds  character  and  is  all  the  enduring 
wealth  we  can  acquire  in  this  stage  of  existence.  Thus 
counseled  Mrs.  Lord's  more  advanced  guides.  They  urged 
her  to  hold  out  a  strong  hand  to  stay  the  feet  of  the  weak 
and  erring.  They  gave  her  the  wisdom  to  claim  the  atten- 
tion of  the  thoughtful,  and  to  confound  intellectual  van- 
ity. They  gave  her  to  understand  that  thought  vibrations 
once  set  in  operation  move  on  eternally  and  whoever  comes 
within  their  limits  must  be  influenced  and  modified  by 
them; — that  they  will  produce  their  legitimate  result  some- 
where and  some  time.  The  mother's  thought  may  not  bf 
so  directly  appreciable  in  the  child  as  in  the  third  and 
fourth  generation ;  but,  once  involved,  it  will  be  evolved 
some  time. 

Thoughts  become  acts.  Every  act  must  be  preceded  by 
a  thought,  and  these  operations  form  character — the  only 
desirable  consummation  of  life.  Let  no  mother  doubt  these 
laws  and  their  far  reaching  effects.  Call  it  heredity,  if  you 
will.  The  first  cause  is  thought, — a  deific  or  demonic  force 
set  in  operation,  and  according  to  the  dynamic  energy  you 
give  it  so  will  it  bless  or  curse  the  race  and  you  as  well. 
There  is  no  place  where  you  can  escape  from  it. 

There  are  those  still  living  in  Chicago,  and  at  other 
places,  who  remember  the  lessons  taught  by  Mrs.  Lord's 
controls  and  who  listened  and  applied  them,  and  have 
beautiful  children  as  a  result.  How?  She  repeated  to 
them  the  lessons  given  to  her  and  told  them  her  experience 
— told  them  how  her  inspiration  of  unalloyed  joy  knew  no 
bounds  when  she  thought  of  a  young  soul  to  be  born  into 
the  world,  mantled  in  glory  and  sweet  perfection.  The 
mysterious,  magical  law  of  thought, — the  spirit's  selection 
and  impress  of  matter,  moulding  it  into  forms  of  beauty 
and  organizing  it  according  to  its  kind  and  quality  must 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AM)      LIFE.  191 

produce  the  results  for  which  she  did  so  devoutly  pray,— 
if  no  other  environment  and  deleterious  forces  are  present 
to  check  and  delay  for  a  generation, — possibly  a  second 
generation,  the  beauty  and  perfection  for  which  sbe  so 
fondly  hoped.  Prayers  unceasingly  rose  to  the  mother's 
lips,  from  the  hope-inspired  heart,  that  her  child  might 
be  all  that  nature's  God  could  make  it. 

Out  in  the  severest  storms  went  she  to  pray;  out  into 
the  sunshine  where  the  songs  of  birds  seemed  to  make  life 
more  sentient  and  beautiful;  out  beyond  the  great  city's 
limits  to  peaceful  fields  abounding  with  life  that  only 
sanctified  and  glorified  the  soul  within — the  double  life — 
that  she  might  bring  all  good  and  potent  conditions  to 
develop  the  dear  babe  so  precious  to  the  hungry  heart  of 
this  inexperienced  mother. 

She  sought  places  of  art;  she  listened  to  the  murmur- 
ing brooklets,  singing  birds  and  rippling  waters,  and  lin- 
gered wherever  and  whenever  she  could  find  the  beautiful 
in  nature.  She  listened  to  the  soft  melodies  of  human 
souls  that  loved  her.  She  reveled  in  nature's  rhythmical 
swells  of  grandest  elevation  and  inspiration,  and  prayed 
for  the  fulfillment  of  the  hue.  The  controls  desired  her  to 
keep  herself  in  a  negative  condition,  to  let  nothing  trouble 
her,  to  look  to  the  sunny  side  of  life,  that  the  grand  in- 
comprehensible magnet  called  LOVE  ;i  primal,  potential, 
creative  force  should  so  sensitize  the  child-life  as  to  make 
it    most    beautiful. 

This  is  the  law,  and  its  fulfillment  must  come  some- 
where in  the  line  she  was  creating.  Her  prayer  was  for 
its  direct  and  immediate  fulfillment  in  the  generation 
within  her  lime.  — within  her  reach.  There  were  other 
vibrations  about  her  which  her  controls  and  she  BOUght 
to  neutralize.  Time  alone  could  tell  if  they  were  not  also 
a  law  unto  themselves.  She  was,  however,  assured  that 
her  efforts  should  bear  golden  fruit  at  some  point  on  the 
line  of  the  life  she  was  thus  individualizing.  If  not  in  her 
child,  by  reason  of  law,  then  by  the  same  law.  they  must 
manifest   in   a   later  generation.     Nature's  laws   make   no 


192  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

mistakes.  In  their  continuity  they  span  all  existence — 
and  are  but  modes  of  infinite  intelligence. 

Thus  she  bowed  at  the  shrine  of  Eros;  and,  attuned 
to  love's  ways  and  laws,  she  learned  that  they  who  con- 
quer by  force  overcome  but  half  of  their  foes,  while  those 
who  think  and  live  in  harmony  with  nature  are  superior 
to  all  conditions. 

In  time,  as  sweet  a  child  as  God  ever  gave  to  a  mother 
was  born  under  the  guidance  and  care  of  spirit  influences. 
This  second  medium  showed  mediumship  from  the  first 
hour  of  her  birth.  Spirits  attended  both  mother  and  child 
throughout.  They  came  to  Mrs.  Lord,  lifting  her  tenderly 
for  four  days,  dressing  and  undressing  her  with  the  ease 
of-  experienced  nurses.  At  the  end  of  a  week  the  band  con- 
trolling the  medium  christened  the  child,  and  gave  an  in- 
dependent musical.  This  has  been  told  by  the  grandmother, 
but  it  will  bear  repeating,  as  the  mother  remembers  it. 

There  was  a  guitar  in  the  parlor,  down  stairs,  imme- 
diately under  their  sleeping  apartments,  and  in  the  closet 
adjoining  their  bed  chamber  was  a  banjo,  a  tambourine 
and  bells.  Through  combined  forces  they  managed  to  get 
these  instruments  together.  After  the  household  had  re- 
tired and  when  all  was  ready,  a  voice,  that  all  in  the  house 
recognized  as  Clarence's,  said:  ''All  ready,  boys."  The 
music  began.  First,  low,  sweet  and  tender  as  a  soothing 
lullaby;  then  it  broke  forth  into  quick  and  jubilant 
measures.  Several  spirit  voices  joined  in  the  jubilee. 
After  speech  making  by  Clarence,  Snowdrop,  and  several 
other  controls  immediately  interested,  they  at  last  said: 
"We  have  the  supreme  pleasure  of  presenting  this  little 
exhibit  of  our  power  in  honor  of  our  little  medium  on  whom 
we  now  bestow  the  name  of  Maude  Alberta  Lord." 

They  played,  walked  about,  strong  and  loud  enough 
to  bring  the  whole  household  in  listening  wonder  to  the 
outside  of  the  door.  Servants,  who  were  Catholics,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hooker,  and  a  sister  of  Mr.  Hooker,  all  heard  the 
revelers  and  enjoyed  the  entertainment. 


THE  CHILD   MEDIUM, 
(See  page  195.) 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  193 

CLARENCE   DRESSES   THE   BABY    LIKE   A    BOY. 

Mrs.  Lord  often  said  she  did  so  wish  her  baby  had 
been  a  boy.  One  night,  after  they  had  gone  down  stairs 
to  tea,  Clarence  thought  he  would  make  her  look  like  a 
boy.  When  they  went  to  get  the  baby  to  show  her  off  to 
a  neighbor,  behold  a  dainty  little  mustache  was  marked 
on  her  upper  lip.  a  necktie  was  tied  under  the  chin  and  on 
the  pillow  was  pinned  a  card,  signed  by  Clarence,  on  which 
was  written.  ''Here's  your  boy." 

she  had  complained  that  her  baby  did  not  weigh 
enough.  Every  time  they  tried  to  weigh  her.  — no  matter 
who  held  the  scales, — they  would  register  all  the  way  from 
four  to  twelve  pounds.  They  tried  it  many  times  in  the 
full  light  and  with  the  scales  in  the  most  skeptical  and 
careful  hands.  Tt  was  impossible  to  get  the  same  weight 
twice.  It  Mas  finally  decided  that  eight  pounds  was  a 
very   good   guess. 

One  day  when  baby  Maude  was  three  months  old  she 
asked,  in  a  perfectly  distinct  voice,  for  a  drink  of  water. 
This  almost  frightened  her  mother  out  of  her  senses.  When 
the  water  was  given  her.  she  drank  thirstily  and  appeared 
transformed  and  transfigured.  In  a  few  moments  the 
mother  recognized  her  little  control.  Snowdrop,  who  laughed 
and  dapped  the  little  hands  in  great  glee  thai  she  had 
controlled  the  tiny  form. 

Six  months  later,  as  Mrs.  Lord  was  ready  for  a  ride 
with  the  little  daughter,  she  saw  the  child  lifted  and  com- 
ing through  the  air  Inwards  her.  Some  invisible  power 
carried  her  through  the  parlor,— half  way  across  tin'  room. 
t<>  tin-  thoroughly  astonished  mother,  and  dropped  her  upon 
the  floor,  not   harming  her  in  the  least.     A  spirit  voice 

spoke  so  thai  all  could  hear,  and  said:  "Forjive  us.  w- 
thought   we   could   bring  her   to  you."       liven    the   blue-eyed 

babe  seemed  to  understand,  young  as  she  was.  that  some- 
thing unusual  and  funny  had  transpired,  for  sbe  crowed 
and  laughed  with  the  resl  of  the  company. 

The   child    received    faithful    care    from    Hie    invisibles. 


194  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  cradle  was  often  seen  to  sway  to  and  fro  for  many 
hours.  She  was  born  clairvoyant  and  clairaudient,  a 
mental  and  physical  medium  at  an  early  age.  There  were 
times  when  she  would  be  gloriously  transfigured  and  looked 
utterly  unlike  herself.  At  such  times  her  wisdom  was  most 
subtle,  her  language  most  choice,  and  her  tests  of  spirit 
identity  very  satisfactory.  She  was  intensely  religious  and 
would  hold  her  own  little  prayer  meetings,  inviting  the 
angels  to  be  present. 

THE    BABY    IS    PUNISHED. 

When  she  was  three  years  old  she  visited  her  grand- 
mother at  Fondulac.  She  was  at  this  time  a  very  busy 
little  girl.  Grandpapa  had  a  fine  grape  arbor  and  little  Dot 
would  amuse  herself  by  pulling  the  green  grapes.  This 
finally  exhausted  grandpapa's  patience,  which  was  almost 
limitless,  and  he  said  to  the  mother,  "What  shall  I  do  with 
her.?"  Mrs.  Lord  said,  "Punish  her  some  way."  Grand- 
papa brought  her  in  and  put  her  into  a  closet.  She  went  in 
cheerfully,  saying,  "Maybe  it  will  break  me,  but  I  don't 
know."  The  indulgent  grandpapa  stood  outside  the  door. 
listening  for  a  possible  sob.  Instead,  cheerful  voices  rang 
out  in  merriment  and  great  glee.  She  had' lots  of  company 
in  the  dark  closet  and  was  more  than  pleased  with  her 
punishment.  Mr.  Hooker  could  hear  the  voices  and  the 
ripples  of  sweetest  laughter  from  the  spirits  as  well  as 
from  Maude. 

Her  grandpapa  said,  "Maude,  who  is  with  you?"  She 
said.  "Snowdrop,  and  lots  of  little  angels,  papa,  and  it's 
lovely  in  here  in  the  dark."  She  remained  there  for  more 
than  an  hour  with  many  listening  on  the  outside  to  the 
wonderful  voices  speaking  to  them. 

One  day  Mr.  George  St.  John,  an  editor,  called  and 
asked  to  see  the  wonderful  child  about  whom  he  had  heard 
so  nrnoh.  The  mother  brought  her  in  and  asked  her  to 
give  the  gentleman  a  sitting.  She  willingly  climbed  into 
a  high  chair  and  folded  the  wee  little  hands  to  await  the 
coming  of  the  control.     The  situation  was  so  strange  and 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  195 

peculiar  thai  he  could  tiot  help  smiling.  To  our  baby- 
medium  the  subject  was  too  sacred  to  be  treated  lightly; 
and,  on  noticing  the  smile,  she  at  once  climbed  down  from 
her  high  chair.  It  took  many  apologies  and  much  coaxing 
on  her  mother's  part  to  induce  her  to  give  him  the  sitting. 
She  finally  consented.  He  was  an  avowed  skeptic,  br.t 
when  his  mother  came  and  gave  her  name,— a  peculiar 
name.  •'Miranda."  which  he  knew  was  not  known  to  any- 
One,  especially  to  this  little  three  year  old  child,  and  when 
his  mother  told  him  many  incidents  of  his  boyhood  days, 
known  only  to  him  and  to  her,  his  skepticism  was  trone,  and 
lie  knew,  it'  any  one  can  know  anything,  that  a  great  fact 
had  been  demonstrated  to  him,  a  man  of  the  world,  by  a 
mere  child.  He  brought  others  to  see  this  marvelous  child, 
in  whose  future  were  possibilities  far  beyond  all  ordinary 
limits. 

THE  CHILD   MEDIUM. 

One  of  the  most  convincing  seances  ever  held  by  Mis. 
Lord  was  at  Fondulac,  Wisconsin,  when  .Maude  Alberta 
was  about  four  years  old.  The  seance  was  more  than 
usually  harmonious.  Little  Maude,  at  her  own  earnest  re- 
quest, was  allowed  to  lie  present.  The  seance  had  been  in 
progress  about  an  hour  when  she  became  tired  and  wanted 
a  light.  She  was  <|iiie1ed  and  told  '"in  a  few  minutes." 
Suddenly    she    was    lifted    and    carried    around    the    circle. 

Those  presenl   could  tell  by  her  deep  breathing  that  she 

was  under  control.    They  were  immediately  assured  of  this 

fad  by  the  childish  voice  of  Snowdrop,  saying,  "  I  'in  here"  : 
and  then  through  this  four  year  old  child  this  little  Indian 
control  proceeded  to  give  those  present  the  most  wonderful 
and  convincing  t«--<ts.  Names  were  given  and  forms  de- 
scribed with  a  clearness  and  accuracy  which  filled  tl 
presenl  with  astonishment.  She  was  carried  through  the 
air  to  several  persons  ;it  their  request,  and  <>n  her  mother 
expressing  fears  for  her  safety,  spirit  voices  answered, 
'"  Pear  not  :  wo  will  take  care  of  her." 

Mr.  Raymond  Talmadge  received  ;)  message  from  the 


19G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

father  of  his  adopted  daughter,  Bertha,  who  had  been  dead 
for  eighteen  years.  Mr.  McGraw  received  a  communication 
from  one  of  his  friends,  whose  existence  was  known  to  no 
one  in  the  seance  besides  himself.  A  brother  who  had  been 
in  spirit  life  for  twenty-two  years  came  to  Mrs.  Julia  Rug- 
gles,  and  another  received  a  convincing  test  from  a  dear 
relative,  while  many  others  recognized  names  and  faces 
which  were  described  in  a  clear,  calm  voice  by  this  most 
extraordinary  child.  The  manifestations  were  different 
from  those  in  seances  held  by  the  mother  alone. 

Among  those  present  were  several  eminent  morphol- 
us-'ists  of  the  Haeckel  Schools  of  Tectology,  who  consid- 
ered the  manifestations  prophetic  of  the  coming  upon  the 
sgene  of  a  new  medium,  unless,  under  the  operations  of 
the  Mendelian  laws  of  heredity,  the  father's  traits  should 
be  evolved;  and,  as  heredity  is  a  law  or  condition  of  organ- 
ized matter,  she  would  then  resemble  him  in  appearance. 
As  "individualized,  spirit,  life-force  is  more  potent  than  the 
acquired  properties  of  matter,  these  consequences  could 
only  be  corrected  by  the  positive  thought  and  determina- 
tion of  the  person. 

ABSENT    TREATMENT. 

A  gentleman  living  near  Boston  wrote  Mrs.  Lord  that 
his  son  was  paralyzed;  that  the  doctors  could  not  cure 
him,  and  gave  him  no  encouragement,  and  he  wished  to 
know  if  she  could  tell  him  what  to  do.  She  immediately 
wrote  the  gentleman  that  at  a  certain  hour  each  day,  if 
he  would  be  pi*epared  as  directed,  she  and  her  cruides  would 
give  his  son  a  treatment  at  that  particular  hour.  This  she 
did  for  several  days,  until  the  boy  was  well. 

Later  Mrs.  Lord  located  in  Boston,  and  one  day  father 
and  son  were  passing  along  the  street  and  came  to  a  case 
of  photographs  in  front  of  an  artist's  gallery.  Pointing 
to  one  of  the  photographs,  the  young  man  said,  "That  is 
Mrs.  Lord,  father;  I  know  her,  for  I  saw  her  when  she 
treated  me."  The  father  thought  it  could  not  be  pos- 
sible, as  she  was  in  Chicago.  They  went  into  the  gallery 
and  inquired  and,  learning  her  number,  went  and  found 


CONTINUITY      OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  197 

her.  The  Father  t<>l<l  her,  with  much  emotion  and  grati- 
tude, who  he  was,  and  of  their  experience,  and  said  she 
was  thr  savior  of  his  son. 

Mr.  S.  S.  lla/.e.  the  City  Comptroller  at  Chicago,  was 
another  one  convinced  by  many  beautiful  and  indisputa- 
ble proofs.  lie.  as  he  often  said,  attended  Mrs.  Lord's 
sennets  to  rest  himself.  He  enjoyed  with  all  his  gifted  na- 
ture thf  communications  he  received  from  his  spirit  friends. 

PROPHECY  AND  PROTECTION. 

Without  trenching  upon  the  doctrine  of  predestination, 
many  who  have  had  a  varied  and  extended  experience  with 
prophecy  or  divination  from  the  spirit  side  of  life  firmly 
and  confidently  assert  that  every  condition  of  life, — every 
question  that  human  intelligence  can  formulate,  is  known, 
or  can  be  known  and  answered  by  some  intelligence,  pro- 
vided that  intelligence  so  elects.  This  is  strong  language, 
but  as  every  incident  in  these  pages  is  a  fact. — has  occurred 
just  as  told.  — nothing  exaggerated, — all  plain,  cold  facts, 
the  position  is  not  untenable. 

Many  readers  will  remember  the  Ashtabula,  Ohio, 
disaster  on  the  night  of  December  29th.  1876,  where  the 
entire  train  fell  seventy-five  feet  and  over  seventy  people, 
nearly  uvvy  one  on  the  ill-fated  train. — were  lost.  Mrs. 
Lord  was  to  have  been  a  .passenger  on  that  train.  She  had 
her  ticket  bought.  Her  little  daughter,  .Maude,  then  about 
four  years  old,  ami  "lizzie  Lou."  the  nurse,  with  their 
.  were  on  the  Pullman,  while  she  stood  on  the  plat- 
form Kidding  good  bye  to  friends.  The  conductor  called, 
"All  aboard,"  ami  Mrs.  Lord  turned  towards  the  ear 
where  the  nurse  and  baby  stood  on  the  rear  platform,  but 
she  could  not  move  one  step.  Her  feet  were  fastened  to 
the  platform.  The  train  commenced  to  move.  The  nurse 
cried,  "Come.  Mrs.  Lord,  come."  Little  Maude  cried, 
"Come,  mama."  Nol  one  f""t  could  she  lift.  The  nurse 
seized  the  child  and  jumped  from  the  car,  and  the  porter 
threw  off  their  valises.  This  is  one  of  the  many  instances 
where  their  lives  were  saved  by  spirit  intervention. 


198  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

At  another  time  she  had  been  engaged  by  Captain 
Ward  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  the  father  of  Clara  Ward, 
(Princess  Chimay)  to  visit  his  home.  She  saw  the  legend- 
ary "Iron  Hand,"  and  her  controls  warned  her,  all  to  no 
purpose.  She  would  go.  They  told  her  that  if  she  did  go 
she  would  come  back  on  a  stretcher.  She  had  been  adver- 
tised to*  speak  in  Detroit  and  decided  to  disregard  the 
warnings,  rather  than  not  keep  her  appointment.  In  step- 
ping from  the  icy  platform  into  the  carriage,  at  the  depot 
in  Detroit,  she  slipped  and  sprained  her  ankle.  She  was 
lifted  into  the  carriage  and  gave  orders  to  be  driven  to  the 
Russell  House,  where  she  remained  for  a  week  until  she 
was  able  to  be  taken  to  the  car  on  a  stretcher  and  return 
to  Chicago. 

While  at  the  Russell  House,  unable  to  move,  General 
Tom  Thumb  and  his  wife  and  Mr.  Giles  Stebbins,  the 
ethical  writer,  and  his  wife,  all  spiritualists,  were  very 
frequent  visitors  in  her  room.  Her  controls  attended  her, 
dressed  her  ankle  and  amused  her. 

The  controls  gave  them  many  manifestations  of  in- 
dependent writing  and  of  playing  on  the  music  box  in 
daylight  and  in  plain  sight.  General  Tom  Thumb  fre- 
quently came  into  the  room  and  placing  his  silk  hat  on 
the  floor,  over  the  music  box,  it  would  always  be  played 
for  him.  Years  after  the  General  had  solved  the  mystery 
of  transition,  this  accomplished  little  lady, — Mrs.  Thumb, 
to  show  her  belief  and  to  emphasize  it  before  the  public, 
occupied  the  platform  with  Mrs.  Lord  at  Minneapolis, 
Minnesota,  and  later  entertained  Mrs.  Lord  and  her  party 
at  the  Baldwin  Hotel  in  San  Francisco,  California. 

Many  and  innumerable  are  the  occasions  when  the 
"Iron  Hand"  warned  her  of  accidents  and  danger.  She 
would  not  always  heed  these  warnings  and  they  would 
permit  her  to  go  with  the  attendant  consequences  and  ex- 
periences. In  cases  of  life  and  death,  as  in  the  Ashtabula 
disaster,  they  had  the  power  to  enforce  their  commands. 

By  what  process  of  calculation  they  were  able  to  fix 
dates,  perhaps  the  scientific  astrologer  can  tell;  and  by 


.Tl.MITY      OF      LAW      AND     LIFE.  199 

what  methods  they  arc  able,  to  foretell  specific  events  with 
their  attendant  circumstances,  probably  will  not  be  told, 
even  by  these  scientists  of  the  stars,  until  they  themselves 
find  the  long  lost  key  to  their  special  science.  That  such 
events  are  told,  these  Pacts  and  others  more  wonderful  in 
Mrs.  Lord's  later  experience,  unquestionably  demonstrate. 
No  theory  of  coincidence  can  account  for  these  things. 
There  is  no  such  thing  as  accident  in  a  world  of  cause  and 
effect,-  in  a  universe  of  order,— or  these  things  could  not 
be  foretold  with  such  i oracy  of  time  and  detail. 

DOCTOR   DE   HAVEN   ADVISES  A   CHICAGO   PHYSICIAN. 

Among  the  exciting  incidents  at  one  of  Mrs.  Lord's 
seances  in  Chicago  is  one  told  to  the  writer  by  Dr.  David 
< 'ashman  of  Los  Angeles,  California,  who  lived  in  Chicago 
al  that  time,  and  who  was  the  principal  in  the  affair.  There 
were  several  prominent  people  present  at  the  time, — George 
M.  Pullman,  Mrs.  Corson,  Jac  Humphries,  now  of  San 
Francisco,  California,  and  others.  Dr.  Cashman  was  a 
stranger  to  the  medium  and  to  the  phenomena.  It  was  his 
first  attendance  at  any  spiritual  meeting.  He  was  emi- 
nent in  his  profession,  and  like  most  others,  unable  to  be- 
lieve anything  beyond  his  experience  and  the  reach  of 
his  science. 

During  the  seance  he  heard  a  voice  address  him,  which 
he  knew  was  not  that  of  the  medium  or  any  of  the  people 
about  him,  savin--.  "•Doctor,  do  not  operate  upon  that  case 
to-morrow."  The  Doctor  had  two  patients  on  whom  all 
arrangements  had  been  made  to  operate,  and.  of  course. 
he  was  greatly  surprised  that  such  advice  should  be  given 
him.  knowing,  as  he  did,  that  no  one  in  the  room  knew 
about  these  cases,  or  thai  a  time  had  been  set  for  operating. 
He  asked  the  medium  several  times  for  additional  infor- 
mation, but   slu old   not   enlighten  him.     she  had   not 

heard  the  voice  that  addressed  him,  as  she  was  describing 
for  others  in  the  seance  al  the  time.    She  told  him  to  ask 

his  spirit  friend  to  explain.  He  asked  the  spirit  what  ease. 
The   voice   replied,   "That   case   on    Marshfield    Avenue." 


200  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

This  was  all  he  could  learn.  He  called  upon  Mrs.  Lord  the 
next  day  and  was  so  solicitous  for  further  information  that 
she  invited  him  into  the  parlor.  Before  he  could  ask  a 
question  Dr:   DeHaven  controlled  and  said  to  him: 

"Doctor,  we  told  you  last  night  not  to  operate  upon 
that  case  on  Marshfield  Avenue.  We  tell  you  now  that  if 
you  do  two  lives  will  be  sacrificed  instead  of  one." 

' '  That  cannot  be,  as  the  woman  has  been  a  grass  widow 
for  several  years,"  the  Doctor  replied. 

"We  know  better  than  you.  Our  diagnoses  are  al- 
ways correct.  Go  and  examine  and  you  will  be  con- 
vinced. We  tell  you  more, — that  on  Tuesday,  April  18th, 
a  little  girl  baby  will  be  born." 

To  use  Dr.  Cashman's  words:  "This  was  simply  as- 
tounding. To  give  the  day  and  date,  and  name  the  sex 
of  the  child,  six  months  in  advance !  It  put  all  of  our 
learning,  skill  and  experience  far  in  the  shade.  Before  I 
could  recover  from  my  surprise  the  control  was  gone,  and 
the  medium  was  herself  again. 

"I  said,  'Mrs.  Lord,  do  you  know  meV  She  an- 
swered. 'No.'  'Do  you  know  that  I  am  a  physician?' 
She  answered,  'No.' 

"Here  were  some  cold  facts,  if  subsequent  events 
should  verify  them.  I  made  examination  and  found  that 
it  was  true.  I  notified  the  lady  and  the  family  that  we 
could  not  perform  the  operation.  They  insisted,  and  I 
was  forced  to  tell  them  my  reasons  for  not  operating.  Then 
came  a  scene.  The  patient  vigorously  protested,  and  the 
family  threatened  the  medium  with  all  kinds  of  dire  con- 
sequences and  suits  for  damages.  I  advised  that,  in  so  far 
as  my  examination  corroborated  the  medium,  or  the  con- 
trol's statement,  as  the  medium  knew  nothing  whatever 
about  it,  they  had  better  wait  until  the  18th  of  April,  which, 
to  add  to  my  surprise,  I  had  learned  would  be  Tuesday,  as 
stated  by  the  control,  before  taking  any  steps  in  the  matter. 
They  concluded  to  act  upon  my  advice.  On  the  18th  of 
April  the  prediction  was  completely  verified. 

"After  this,  to  me.  wonderful  incident.  I  never  failed 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  ^01 

to  '>nsult  .Mrs.  Lord,  whenever  I  could,  on  all  important 
and  difficult  cases,  as  a  correct  diagnosis  is  all-important 
in  our  practice.  I  never  found  her  controls  wrong  in  their 
opinion  of  a  rase,  while  their  knowledge  of  the  constituents 
of  plants  and  the  effect  of  drugs  upon  different  temper- 
aments was  beyond  my  comprehension,  and  convinced  me 
that  the  practice  of  medicine  can  be  made  an  exact  science, 
whereas  to-day  much  of  it  is  empirical." 

A    SOLDIER    REPORTS    HIS    OWN*    DEATH. 

While  making  a  call  upon  the  family  of  II.  X.  P. 
Lewis,  editor  of  the  Western  Rural,  she  met  the  Rev.  Doc- 
tor Adam  Miller.  The  Doctor  was  a  prominent  minister 
of  tin-  M.  E.  church,  and  a  broad,  liberal  minded  man.  He 
knew  but  little  of  spirit  phenomena  and  did  not  believe 
that  such  manifestations  were  the  work  of  spirits.  The 
theory  that  it  was  the  "Devil,''  which  so  many  of  his  faith 
believed  it  to  be,  found  no  favor  in  his  reasoning.  During 
the  call  Mrs.  Lord  went  over  and  knelt  by  his  side  -and 
said.  "Father,  I  have  passed  over  and  it  is  true  that  I 
can  come  back.  You  will  very  soon  receive  a  message  an- 
nouncing  my  death."  The  Doctor  was  greatly  surprised, 
lie  went  home  and  during  that  night  a  message  came,  as 
predicted,  corroborating  the  statement  made.  The  family 
knew  the  son.  who  was  a  soldier  stationed  at  a  post  in  Col- 
orad  rick;  but,  at  last  accounts,  he  was  better.     The 

Doctor  was  very  liberal,  and  intellectually  big  enough  to 
great  truth  in  the  claims  of  spiritualism.  While  being 
disposed  to  attribute  the  phenomena  to  telepathy  and 
magnetic  vibrations  rather  than  an  evidence  of  spirit  re- 
turn, here  was  a  fact  outside  of  any  such  theory.  While 
his  family  were  bitterly  and  unreasonably  opposed  to  his 
attending  spiritual  seances,  he.  nevertheless,  became  a  fre- 
quent  attendant  at  Mrs.  Lord's  meetings.  His  religious 
faith  taught  him  that  if  these  phenomena  were  facts,  they 
could  only  exist  by  infallible  and  eternal  wisdom — a  wisdom 
that,    moulds    events    to     meel    the   v.<  of   man   and 

facilitate  the  accomplishment. of  beneficient  purp 


202  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

At  these  seances  he  was  told  about  his  family,— the 
living  and  the  dead,  — and  of  many  important  events  of  his 
life  which  he  was  certain  no  one  knew,  or  could  know.  The 
first  thing  told  him  in  Mr.  Lewis'  house  upset  his  precon- 
ceived opinions.  This,  and  his  subsequent  investigations, 
thoroughly  convinced  him  of  the  truth  of  the  claims  of 
spiritualism.  This  knowledge  had  given  his  religion  greater 
vitality  and  greater  strength.  He  realized  that  these 
phenomena  were  scientific  facts.  It  added  knowledge  to 
his  faith.  He  felt  that  his  religion  must  accompany  science. 
He  had  nothing  to  fear  from  scientific  facts.  A  religion 
that  cannot  progress  with  the  race  is  dead  and  will  hold 
its  adherents  in  bondage  and  prevent  their  progress. 

LOSS   OP   THE   STEAMER   ALPENA. 

The  steamer  Alpena,  with  over  seventy  people,  was 
lost  on  her  trip  from  Grand  Haven,  Michigan,  to  Chi- 
cago, on  October  15th  1880.  The  only  body  ever  recovered 
Avas  that  of  a  Swede  sailor  that  floated  ashore  on  a  piece 
of  the  wreck.  On  that  evening  Mrs.  Lord  held  a  seance 
in  Chicago,  which  was  attended  by  Captain  Heber  Squires, 
Sr.,  father  of  the  Captain  of  the  Alpena.  During  the  seance 
Mrs.  Lord,  who  was  a  stranger  to  Captain  Squires  and  did 
not  even  know  his  occupation,  suddenly  turned  to  him  and 
said,  "Here  comes  a  spirit  to  you,  sir,  who  is  all  dripping 
with  water."* 


*NOTE: — This  effect  is  produced  by  the  controls  of  the 
seance  for  illustration  and  identification,  probably  by  a  con- 
densation of  the  atmosphere  precipitating  the  oxygen  and  hydro- 
gen in  the  form  of  water.  These,  and,  in  fact,  all  the  manifes- 
tations in  the  seance,  such  as  producing  sounds  by  the  use  of 
carbonic  acid,  nitrogen  and  compression  of  the  air;  by  the  use 
of  the  occult  electrical  force  generated  in  the  human  body — 
a  force  infinitely  finer  than  static,  or  acetic  electricity,  or  by  the 
evolution  of  atoms  producing  a  vacuum,  require  such  perfect 
conditions  that  it  is  a  wonder  the  controls  can  do  any- 
thing when  the  seance  is  made  up  of  ignorant  and  careless 
people,  however  honest  and  desirous  they  may  be  of  results. 
It  is  even  more  difficult  when  producing  results  requiring  vibra- 
tions of  electric  and  phosphoric  lights  necessary  to  make  spirit 
faces  visible  to  others  than  clairvoyant  eyes,  and  in  producing 
the  mental  phenomena,  which  requires  the  highest  and  most 
subtle    vibrations. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  203 

Those  sitting  near  Captain  Squires  fell  water 
sprinkled  over  them.  This  manifestation  greatly  surprised 
all  who  felt  the  water. 

Captain  Squires  said,  'Tan  you  tell  me  who  he  is?" 

"Yes,"  she  replied,  "he  says  he  is  your  son.  Captain 
of  the  Alpena,  and  that  his  boat  and  all  on  board  are  Lost." 

The  Captain  replied  thai  his  son  was  Captain  of  the 
Alpena,  but  he  thought  the  boat  could  easily  weather  the 
storm  which  lie  and  others  knew  was  then  sweeping  over 
the   Lake. 

Mis.  Lord  said.  "He  is  certainly  here.  Sometimes  \ 
see  the  living  clairvoyantly,  hut  whenever  I  see  spirits  in- 
side of  the  circle,  they  have  surely  passed  over.  I  am  al- 
ways in  my  normal  condition,  only  a  little  more  sensitive 
when  in  the  seance ;  and  when  1  see  spirits  in  the  cirele,  their 
appearance  is  clearer  and  more  distinct  than  those  I  see 
who  an'  still  in  the  body.  Those  in  the  body  are  a  vision, 
possibly  a  materialization,  but  these  here  are  objective 
realities.'* 

The  Captain  replied.  "All  that  you  have  told  me  is 
very  definite  and  true,  but  you  must  be  mistaken  about 
my  son.    His  boat  is  one  of  the  best  on  the  Lake." 

A  voice,  which  he  said  was  very  much  like  his  son's 
voice,  then  addressed  him,  saying,  "Yes,  father,  I  am  in- 
deed here.  Our  boat  went  down  in  this  terrible  storm  and 
we  were  all  lost." 

Many  a  Chicago  home  was  made  desolate  by  that 
storm.  In  a  few  days  the  worst  was  known.  Only  a  few 
pieces  of  the  boat  were  ever  found,  and  none  of  the  bodies 
recovered,   excepting   one. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

FIRST    VISIT    TO    NEW    YORK    CITY. 

Persistent  effort  is  the  only  road  to  great  success.  It 
is  the  Affirmation  of  the  New  Thought,  the  Concentration 
of  the  Christian  Scientists  and  the  Dynamics  of  Silence  of 
the  Spiritualists.  Our  Medium,  coming  from  a  race  that 
never  tolerated  dictation  in  religious  matters,  never  sub- 
mitted to  petty  tyrannies,  always  resolute  and  resourceful 
in  the  defense  and  maintenance  of  their  inherent  rights, 
had  reached  a  point  in  life  where  it  became  necessary  for 
her  to  obtain  a  divorce  from  Mr.  Lord.  For  this  purpose 
she  took  her  baby,  now  about  a  year  and  a  half  old,  and  left 
with  her  maid  for  New  York.  It  was  her  first  visit  to 
that  gerat  metropolis.  Mr.  George  M.  Pullman,  a  noble 
hearted  Spiritualist,  who  often  sat  in  her  seances,  furnished 
her  transportation.  He,  with  many  other  prominent  people 
in  Chicago,  advised  her  in  this  matter.  It  is  no  easy  task 
for  a  proud  woman  to  face  such  conditions.  That  no  de- 
fence was  offered  by  Mr.  Lord  convinced  the  public  of 
the  justice  of  her  action.  For  the  sake  of  her  child  she 
elected  to  retain  the  name  of  Maude  E.  Lord — a  name  that 
has  always  been  a  credit  to  the  philosophy  and  the  Chris- 
tian practices  and  principles  she  has  taught  from  the 
platform,  from  many  church  pulpits,  and  in  thousands  of 
seances  all  over  the  land,  as  well  as  practiced  in  every-day 
life. 

Arriving  in  New  York,  she  did  not  like  the  attitude  of 
the  few  Spiritualists  whom  she  met.  They  questioned  that 
she  was  Maude  E.  Lord  of  Chicago.  They  could  not  be- 
lieve she  would  leave  a  place  where  she  had  all  and  more 
than  she  could  do.  This  questioning  of  her  identity  and 
lack  of  interest  on  their  part,  so  different  from  those  whom 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  205 

she  had  just  left  in  Chicago,  caused  her  to  extend  her 
journey  to  Boston,  where  her  guides  told  her  she  would 
receive  a  hearty  welcome  from  the  cultured  people  of  that 
city.  They  told  her  to  go  to  the  Adams  House;  and,  after 
breakfast,  to  take  a  seat  in  the  parlor  and  leave  the  rest 
to  them.  She  was  worried  with  her  experience  in  New 
York.-  the  uncertainty  of  the  future,  and  on  finding  her- 
self in  a  Large  and  expensive  hotel  with  a  limited  amount 
of  money.  She  took  her  seat  in  the  parlor  as  directed.  As 
she  s;it  wondering  what  would  be  the  outcome  of  her  wait- 
ing a  lady  entered  the  room.  She  looked  around  as  if  ex- 
pect ing  someone.  -Mrs.  Lord  was  seated  by  the  window. 
The  lady  approached,  and  seeing,  as  she  thought,  a  familiar 
face,  she  came  still  nearer.  With  a  glad  cry  of  recognition 
the  lady  sprang  forward  and  clasped  the  now  thoroughly 
surprised  Mrs.  Lord  in  a  warm  embrace.  This  dear  soul. 
sent  there  by  her  spirit  friends,  was  Mrs.  Laura  Kendrick. 
better  known  as  Laura  Chippy  Smith,  the  eloquent  speaker 
and  spiritual  lecturer. 

She  said.  "Why.  .Maud.  T  was  told  last  night  by  my 
spirit  friends  to  go  down  to  the  Adanis  House  parlor  and 
wait  there  for  results.  I  knew  it  was  for  some  good  pur- 
pose,  BO  1  came:  and  it's  to  see  you.  my  dear,  whom  I  have 
thought  and  spoken  of  so  much  to  my  friends  here."  Mrs. 
Lord  had  known  Mrs.  Smith  in  Chicago,  but  had  not  seen 
her  in  two  or  three  years.  This  was  their  first  meeting. 
arranged  by  the  invisibL 

.\s  Maml  poured  out  her  story  of  migration  in  obedi- 
ence to  some  force  stronger  than  her  power,  Mrs.  Smith 
folded  her  close  within  the  sanctuary  of  her  great  loving 
heart  and  said.  "Dear  Maml.  I  have  it.  Some  of  my 
friends  at  27  Milford  Street  have  rooms;  they  know  all 
about  you.  and  will  give  you  a  warm  welcome."  In  a 
few  moments  they  had  left  the  gloom  of  the  stately  parlor 
ami  were  on  their  way  to  27  Milford  Street,  where  rooms 
Were    secured. 

She  was  now  in  the  hands  of  friends,  and  her  work 
commenced   in   earnest.     She  secured  the  services  of  Dr. 


206  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

J.  L.  Newman  to  manage  her  business.  From  the  first 
night  her  seances  proved  a  great  success.  Hundreds  ap- 
plied for  admission,' and  were  obliged  to  wait  their  turn. 
Hundreds  of  names  were  booked  in  a  very  few  days.  The 
doubting  and  unbelieving  were  convinced.  Immortality 
was  proven  to  them  beyond  a  doubt.  Men  of  all  grades, 
from  the  most  wealthy  and  gifted  to  the  humble  mechanic 
and  blacksmith,  came,  all  feeling  that  there  was  truly 
•'more  in  heaven  and  earth  than  is  dreamed  of"  in  their 
philosophy. 

William  Lloyd  Garrison  was  a  frequent  guest  at  Mrs. 
Lord's  and  became  greatly  interested  in  her  personal  work. 
This  grand  humanitarian,  with  his  soul-felt  logic  and  beau- 
tiful philosophy  made  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact  re- 
joice that  they  could  meet  and  know  such  a  pure,  aspiring 
spirit.  He,  the  noblest  of  Boston's  great  workers,  was 
convinced  beyond  a  doubt,  or,  as  he  stated  it,  he  had  abso- 
lute knowledge  of  the  future;  that  spirit  return  was  a 
proven  fact. 

Wendell  Phillips  and  many  noted  celebrities  and  prom- 
inent clergymen,  including  Dr.  Henry  Gardner,  and  people 
of  the  church,  attended  these  seances.  The  ministers,  some 
of  them,  began  to  fear  that  too  many  sought  the  shrine  of 
Spiritualism,  and  not  infrequently  a  sermon  was  delivered 
by  Rev.  Joseph  Cook,  and  others,  denouncing  in  round 
terms  the  whole  fraternity  of  Spiritualists. 

About  this  time  one  of  these  good  men  made  a  call  upon 
Mrs.  Lord  to  give  her  a  terrible  lecture  upon  her  dissem- 
inating the  diabolical  belief  of  spirit  return.  He  would  not 
give  his  name,  but  boldly  avowed  that  she  had  been  con- 
verting and  misleading  many  of  his  church  members. 

Mrs.  Lord  made  answer:  "Sir,  I  deeply  regret  that 
3rou  think  me  capable  of  sowing  seeds  of  either  evil  or  dis- 
sension anywhere,  much  less  in  the  great  Christian  Church 
that  debars  me  from  its  precincts,  because  I  have  com- 
munion with  the  angels,  or  your  spirit  friends.  I  would 
not  intentionally  wound  or  distress  anyone.  I  do  not  ask 
from  whence  the  people  come,  whether  from  the  church  or 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  207 

from  thf  world.  I  do  aot  even  ask  their  nanus  or  Bee  them 
myself  until  I  meet   them  seated  together  foT  the  mani- 

•  ons." 

"Then  how  do  you  do  these  devilish  things 

She  replied  by  quoting,  "To  some  shall  be  given  the 
discerning  of  the  spirits,"  and  then  said  to  him,  "Do  you, 
sir.  as  a  minister,  doubl  these  things,  so  plainly  slated  in 
your  Bible!  Do  you  say  that  God  did  not  mean  that  we 
should  all  know  the  power  and  beauty  of  the  immortal 
life.'  Do  you  say  your  God  forbids  us  to  know  tin-  possi- 
bilities  and  capabilities  of  the  soul  .'" 

II.'  rather  sneered  and  said.  '"If  God  vouchsafed  these 
things  to  man  I  could  do  them  as  well  as  you.  or  any  of 
your   mediums." 

She  then  said.  "Suppose,  for  your  special  benefit.  I 
illustrate  this  power  and  my  position  at  the  same  time." 

lie  rather  demurred  but  she  opened  the  pages  of  his 
life,    from    his   earliest    recollection   of   his   home   in    Maine. 

told  him  rapidly  and  positively  of  things  past,  and 
many  forgotten  things  that  none  ever  knew  but  himself 
and  his  Cod.  as  he  afterwards  admitted.  She  described  an 
angelic  being  who  approached  him  so  lovingly  and  folded 
hei-  arms  about  his  neck.  She  spoke  her  name.  Baying, 
"Husband,  it's  Mary."  She  said.  "This  woman  was 
burned  to  death   many  years   ago." 

The  minister  acknowledged  it  to  be  true.  "Your 
brothei-  George,  who  was  killed  in  battle, "—describing 
him  accurately  and  to  his  perfeet  recognition,-  "comes  to 
you."  She  then  described  his  old  sire,  who  came  with  ex- 
tended hands  t<»  greel  the  unbelieving  son.     lb-  soon  dis- 

appeared    and    brOUghl    his   mother   and   said.   "•See.    we   are 

all  here,  the  who].-  household  band."     The  medium  said, 

""Why.  sir.  you  have  a  babe  in  spirit  life."  "No.  T  have 
not."     This  was  most    positively  said. 

"  Ye<.  \  es,"  said  the  medium. 

"Tin-re.  now,"  lie  said,  "yon  are  utterly  mistaken  ami 

I     LMIesx     it  *-.     .-ill     a     delusion." 


208  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

His  mother  now  said,  "Yes,  John,  it's  the  little  one 
you  buried  under  the  rose  bush  so  long  ago." 

He  grew  white  to  the  lips  and  said  that  it  had  no  life 
here— it  was  prematurely  born. 

' '  Oh,  sir,  you  should  know  that  these  lovely  little  buds 
of  humanity  live  and  have  an  identity  and  being,  and 
recognize  the  earth  conditions  from  whence  they  came." 

How  many  thoughtless  souls  will  have  to  account 
for  these  little  ones  sent  over  by  murderous  intent.  Oh, 
mothers  and  fathers  of  these  unborn  babes  you  will  know 
them  and  realize  the  great  and  horrible  crime  that  gave 
them  the  untimely  journey.  The  injustice  and  sin  of 
such  acts  will  find  you  out;  you  must  pay  the  penalty. 
This  sublime  truth  will  be  like  a  two-edged  sword  rend- 
ing the  heart  in  twain. 

The  minister  listened  now  attentively  to  the  end.  He 
was  completely  fascinated  and  yet  he  would  repudiate 
the  evidences  of  his  own  senses  rather  than  admit  the 
beautiful  truths  given  him  through  this  stranger. 

What  was  this  light  from  this,  to  him,  strange  wo- 
man? All  the  things  of  his  life,  all  of  his  secret  thoughts 
and  actions  had  been  brought  up  out  of  a  past  he  thought 
was  buried  until  the  Resurrection  Day.  Thoughts,  acts, 
and  incidents  were  recalled  by  this  woman  whom  he 
thought  to  crush  with  his  scholarly  anathemas,  or  coerce 
with  his  picture  of  wickedness  and  future  punishment. 

Now  he  is  recalled  from  his  inverted  thoughts  by  the 
medium  saying:  "Christ's  promises  to  his  disciples  are 
being  wonderfully  and  gloriously  fulfilled  in  our  time, 
for,  sir,  truths  of  a  scientific  and  spiritual  nature  are 
coming  quick  and  fast, — aye,  in  rapid  succession,  to  con- 
found just  such  teachers  as  yourself  and  make  you  know 
that  the  children  of  earth  must  be  fed  upon  something 
more  substantial  than  shadows.  Your  creeds  are  the  husks, 
not  the  bread  of  life.  They  feed  the  body,  not  the  soul ; 
the  shadow,  not  the  spirit.  Humanity  demands  a  living 
fountain.  Sir,  the  soul's  needs  are  not  to  be  forever  starved 
upon  the  letter,  nor  fed  upon  husks." 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE  209 

He  Looked  dazed;  this  to  him,-  to  him  a  minister  <>f 
the  gospel,  and  from  a  medium!  He  tried  to  recover  his 
shattered  nerves,  lit-  tried  to. look  indignant,  but  failed, 
lie  could  nol  forget  the  scenes  and  incidents  in  his  life 
that  she  had  bo  vividly  and  accurately  portrayed.  The 
recollections  were  upon  him,  and  he  said,  in  a  strange  and 
unnatural  voice,  *'l  must  go;  \  must  not  listen  to  you 
longer;  I  shall  doubt  my  sanity  or  identity,     I  must  go." 

The  medium's  kindliest  sympathies  were  enlisted  at 
the  beginning,  but  now  she  felt  real  sorrow  at  his  con- 
fusion. He  started  up  hastily  and  quickly  passed  to  the 
outer  door  without  speaking.  As  he  wasleaving  the  med- 
ium said.  "Pardon  me,  but  you  have  forgotten  your  hat." 
"Oh.  yes,  yes."  he  replied.  She  gave  him  his  hat  and  he 
almost  ran  down  the  steps  without  Leaving  his  name  or 
saying  a  word.  The  angels  were  present  to  confound  the 
minister — this  teacher. 

During  Airs.  Lord's  sojourn  at  "27  Milford  street, 
many  remarkable  manifestations  occurred.  At  a  cabinet 
seance  held  for  .Mis.  Augustus  Carey,  of  Maiden,  who  was 
desirous  of  witnessing  the  full  form  materialization,  the 
manifestations  were  unusually  interesting.  The  rooms 
were  examined  and  the  medium  was.  at  her  own  request, 
securely  tied  and  fastened  in  a  Large  rocking  chair,  some 
five  or  six   feet  from   the  door. 

In  addition  to  the  large  and  small  hands  and  arms, 
Beveral  faces  and  forms  were  shown.  All  were  recognized. 
Sometimes  two  appeared  on  the  outside  of  the  cabinet  at 
tie-  same  time.  Little  Snowdrop,  the  Indian  control,  stepped 
out  in  perfect  form  and  went  to  a  gentleman  who  gave 
her  candy  which  she  took  into  the  cabinet  to  the  medium. 

This  control  was  a  mere  child,  about  three  feet  in  height 
—very  dark  skin,  black  hail-  and  sparkling  black  eyes. 
There  was  more  li<_dit  than  materializing  seances  generally 
have,  so  that  every  form  was  distinctly  and  plainly  seen. 
Dr.  Dillingham  and  wife,  who  were  present,  were  call- 
ed   op    tO    see    SOme    one    just    able    to    present    1  lle]||Sel  ves    at 

the  cabinet    door.     The  doctor  kindly   and  reverently   ap- 


210  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

proached,  when  a  crippled  hand  was  put  out  to  grasp  his. 
The  face  slowly  came  into  view,  and  he  was  face  to  face 
with  his  first  wife  after  a  separation  of  many  years. 

ATTENDS  A  FUNERAL  IN  SPIRIT. 

At  the  funeral  services  of  William  H.  Guild,  held  at 
his  residence,  114  Dartmouth  street,  Boston,  Mass.,  in 
1881,  Mrs.  Kelly,  who  seated  the  people  in  the  parlors  as 
they  came  in,  saw  a  lady  with  her  hair  in  long  curls, 
wearing  a  large  Gainsborough  hat  come  into  the  room 
and  walk  over  to  an  unoccupied  corner,  where  she  re- 
mained standing.  She  offered  the  lady  a  seat,  which  she 
declined,  saying  she  could  stand  where  she  would  not  be 
in  the  way  of  others.  This  lady's  face,  dress  and  manner 
so  impressed  Mrs.  Kelly  that,  after  the  services,  she  gave 
Mrs.  Guild  a  very  accurate  description  of  her.  Mrs.  Guild 
instantly  said:  "That  was  Maud  E.  Lord."  The  pecu- 
liarity of  this  incident  was  that  Mrs.  Lord  at  that  time 
did  not  know  Mr.  Guild  was  dead,  nor  had  Mrs.  Kelly 
ever  seen  Mrs.  Lord.  Mrs.  Kelly  was  not  at  that  time. 
and  is  not  now,  clairvoyant.  The  next  day  Mrs.  Lord 
called  at  the  house,  having  only  that  morning  heard  of 
the  demise  and  funeral.  Mrs.  Kelly  notified  Mrs.  Guild 
and  said :  "The  strange  lady  who  came  to  the  funeral  yes- 
terday has  called  and  is  in  the  parlor  waiting  to  see  you." 

Mrs.  Kelly  wras  introduced  and  when  she  related  the 
incident  of  her  being  present  at  the  funeral,  to  her  great 
surprise,  Mrs.  Lord  said :    ' '  No,  I  was  not  here. ' ' 

"You  must  have  been  here,"  was  Mrs.  Kelly's  reply. 
"You  were  dressed  as  you  are  now.  How  could  I  tell  Mrs. 
Guild,  when  I  just  now  announced  your  presence,  that  you 
are  the  same  lady  who  was  here  yesterday?  I  described 
you  then  so  accurately  that  Mrs.  Guild  told  me  who  yon 
were." 

"Yes,  you  doubtless  saw  me,  but  I  was  not  here  in 
the  body.  There  are  many  such  well  authenticated  cases. 
I  came  by  a  law  not  formulated  by,  or  known  to,  our  ablest 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW'     AND     LIFE.  211 

scientists,  1  >i it  which  has  been  known  and  practiced  for 
centuries  by  the  Oriental  Masters,  the  .Maui.  These  thau- 
maturgists,  skilled  in  the  use  of  magnetic  and  electric 
laws  and  ethereal  vibrations,  can  do  even  more  wonderful 
things.  I  am  told  that  some  of  these  marvelous  things 
will  be  given  t<>  the  race  when  they  are  qualified  to  rec 
them.  Sometimes  these  visits  are  voluntary,  but  are  mostly 
involuntary,  and  are  made  unconsciously  by  mediums  and 
Others.  The  adepts  who  do  these  things  at  will  Dinsl  I 
great  concentration  of  thought  and  perfected  wills,  and 
must  understand  the  laws  by  which  their  vital  force  is 
controlled.  They  are  able  to  do  many  things  which  der- 
ail detection  of  trickery,  because  done  in  a >rdance  with 

natural  law.  That  individual  force  operating  in  the  hu- 
man organism  as  spirit  can,  by  its  own  potential  intelli- 
gence,  projed  itself  beyond  its  immediate  environment 
cannol  he  successfully  disputed." 

This  experience  was  not  new  or  unusual  with  Mrs. 
Lord.  Many  times  on  entering  ;j  room,  she  found  spirits 
awaiting  her  arrival.  She  would  address  them  before  she 
recognized  that  they  were  spirits,  or  "doubles"  of  living 
people,  so  natural  did  they  look  to  her  near-sighted  eyes. 
Usually  she  Learned  that  they  had  come  to  he  treated  for 
some  disease.  These  spirits  from  ailing  bodies  are  always 
accompanied  by  spirits  versed  in  this  occult  law.  When 
the  medium  visited  people  in  spirit  she  was  accompanied 
by  Indians  or  Orientals,  through  whose  knowledge  and 
power  such  spirit  visits' were  made  possible  and  by  whose 

assistance  all   .Mental.  Magnetic  and  Christian  Science  cures 

are  made.  Jn  some  cases  she  afterwards  met  these  people 
who  have  said  to  her:  "I  remember  you.  On  such  an 
occasion  I  dreamed  I  came  to  you  for  treatment,  or  1  saw 

you  when  you  came  and  treated  me."  They  would  often 
descr|be  the  room  in  which  they  met  her.  and  the  dress 
she  wore.  There  are  many  cases  where  people  whom  she 
met  for  the  first  time  would  say  to  her:  "Vmi  are  Maud 
K    Lord.     You  came  to  me  at  such  ;i  time  in  company  with 

an  Indian  or  strangely  dressed  man  and  treated  me  for 


212  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

such  and  such  a  disease."  They  could  tell  how  she  looked, 
how  she  was  dressed,  and  what  she  said  and  did.  The  cures 
thus  affected  and  the  testimony  of  the  people  treated  is 
proof  of  these  statements.  Spirit  intelligence,  making  use 
of  the  electric  and  magnetic  emanations  of  the  medium, 
cures  disease  that  cannot  be  reached  by  drugs  and  or- 
dinary means.  It  is  the  spirit  that  loses  control  of  its 
physical  organization  and  requires  assistance.  It  can  only 
manifest  through  matter  and  needs  to  have  will  and  con- 
centration augmented  to  put  its  house  in  order.  Under- 
standing this  power  of  concentration  some  have  asserted 
that  all  is  spirit — that  there  is  no  matter,  and  call  them- 
selves Christian  Scientists.  All  Christian  Scientists  do  not 
take  this  extreme  position. 

*  It  has  been  claimed  for  many  ages  by  the  Priests  of 
the  Eleusinian  Mysteries,  by  Paracelsus  and  other  writers, 
and  by  Hindoo  adepts,  that  there  is  a  sublimated  spiritual 
or  Astral  body  that  inhabits  the  physical  body,  which  can, 
under  certain  conditions,  and  in  accordance  with  laws  whose 
operations  they  understand,  leave  the  physical  body  and 
return  to  it.  The  instances  related  certainly  establish  the 
fact  that  a  spirit  can  project  itself,  or  be  projected  to  a 
distance,  either  as  a  spiritual  substance,  or  can  materialize 
a  temporary  form  appreciable  to  the  senses  of  a  second 
party.  The  senses  are  only  the  avenues  of  manifestation 
of  the  spirit;  and,  when  in  proper  condition,  there  is 
nothing  unscientific  in  a  sensitive  seeing  these  projected 
forms  and  hearing  them  speak  and,  possibly,  may  feel 
them  by  contact.  If  it  be  a  case  of  projection  of  spiritual 
substance,  and  not  a  materialized  form,  the  will  and  con- 
centration of  thought  of  the  projected  spirit  and  a  sen- 
sitive receiver  are  necessary.  In  cases  where  the  recipient 
is  not  in  the  proper  sensitive  condition,  the  impression 
would  only  be  made  upon  the  brain,  if  made  at  all,  and 
cause  them  to  think  of  their  friend.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered that  the  embodied  spirit  has  all  the  powers  and  pos- 
sibilities possessed  by  the  disembodied  spirit,  and  that 
spirit  is  not  limited  by  time  or  space,  hence  there  is  not 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  213 

as  much  Bpace  between  spirit  and  spirit  as  between  body 
and  body. 

Visions,  apparitions,  or  doubles  must  not  be  con- 
founded with  the  spirit  released  from  all  connection  with 
the  physical  body  thai  appears  at  seances,  and  is  seen  and 
heard  by  all  present.  The  circumstances  and  details  of 
these  materializations  of  spirit  at  seances,  and  the  intel- 
ligence conveyed,  are  so  perfect  as  to  place  them  outside 
of  the  theory  of  telepathy,  visions  and  apparitions,  and 
establish  the  fact  of  the  real  presence  of  the  spirits,  as  an 
objective  reality,  appreciable  to  the  physical  senses  of  all 
actors  in  these  occult  seems,  instead  of  to  one  or  more 
sensitives. 

The  recognition  of  spirits  materialising  a1  these  seances, 
requires  more  than  sight.  There  must  be  memory  and 
statement  of  previous  conditions  and  incidents,  known 
only  to  the  spirit  and  to  the  person  to  whom  they  come; 
and.  sometimes,  statement  of  facts  not  at  the  time  known 
to  the  recipient  of  the  information,  and  above  all,  reason 
and  sense  must  be  used.  The  child  may  be  grown  to 
normal  stature  in  spirit  life:  the  aired  and  infirm  will 
have  laid  aside  their  wrinkles  and  infirmities;  and,  to 
build  atoms  upon  their  present  spirit  forms,  or  other  forms, 
to  represent  themselves  as  you  remember  them,  requires 
the  greatest  possible  skill,  and  such  chemical  and  mag- 
netic conditions  as  are  seldom  present  excepting  in  es- 
pecially selected  seances.  Any  form  or  any  face  thus 
presented,  whether  recognized  or  not,  is  evidence  of  the 
continuity  of  life  and  of  a  power  outside  of  the  medium 
and  those  present.  There  is  no  possible  theory  to  account 
for  these  forms  other  than  the  actual  presence  of  the  in- 
dividual spirits  as  represented.  No  fifteen  or  twenty  peo- 
ple can  simultaneously  conjure  out  of  Bpace,  or  out  of 
latent  vibrations,  an  imaginary  figure  endowed  with 
qualities,    peculiarities   and    information    to    make    itself 

known    to    one    or    more    of    those    present. 

The  possibilities  of  spirit  are  but  dimly  approximated 
by  our  Western  science,  or  dreamed  of  in  any  except  tho 


214  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Oriental  philosophy,  which  recognizes  no  miracles  and 
refers  everything  to  eternal  and  immutable  laws.  These  in- 
stances only  illustrate  one  phase  of  the  magical  skill  of 
these  spirit  adepts  and  establishes  the  individuality  and 
personality  of  spirit,  whether  in  or  out  of  the  body.  There 
is  no  fact  in  science,  or  any  philosophy,  upon  which  to 
predicate  that  the  spirit  ever  loses  its  individuality.  With- 
out a  beginning  it  cannot  have  an  ending. 

THE    OTHER   SEEE. 

George  AY.  Lewis,  of  California,  a  graduate  of  Mid- 
dlebury  College,  (Vt.),  class  1863,  in  his  discussions  of 
spiritual  science,  explains  doubles,  or  "the  other  self,"  as 
he  styles  this  class  of  spiritual  phenomena,  on  the  theory 
of-  materialization.  In  support  of  his  theory  he  quotes  five 
distinct  and  different  instances,  three  of  which  are  his  own 
experience.     He  says  as  follows : 

"The  apparition  of  a  living  person,  separate  and  dis- 
tinct from  the  person  himself,  is  a  fact  too  well  authen- 
ticated to  admit  of  doubt. 

"It  is  well  known  by  prominent  persons,  now  living 
in  Boston,  Mass.,  that  in  1881,  the  apparition  of  Mrs. 
Maud  E.  Lord,  one  of  the  most  prominent  mediums  of 
modern  times,  whose  name  is  heralded  throughout  the 
world,  was  seen  at  a  funeral,  and  conversed  with  some 
of  those  present,  when,  in  fact,  the  actual  Maud  E.  Lord 
knew  nothing  of  the  funeral  and,  at  the  time,  was  in  a 
distant  part  of  the  city. 

"Mr.  W.  H.  Guild  and  his  good  wife  were  acquaint- 
ances and  intimate  friends  of  Mrs.  Lord.  Mr.  Guild  died 
in  1881,  at  his  residence,  No.  114  Dartmouth  street,  Bos- 
ton. At  the  funeral,  a  lady  of  striking  appearance  came 
in  ar«d  stepped  over  to  one  side  of  the  room.  "While 
standing  there.  Mrs.  Kelly,  a  companion  of  Mrs.  Guild, 
went  to  her  and  offered  her  a  seat. 

"The  lady  said,  'No,  I  wall  stand  here  out  of  the 
way  of  others.'  The  appearance  of  this  lady  so  im- 
pressed Mrs.  Kelly  that  after  the  funeral  she  gave  Mrs. 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  215 

Guild   such   .-in   accurate   description   of   her   that    she   ;it 

mice  said  :     'That  was  .Maud   E.  Lord.' 

"The  next  day.  Mrs.  Lord,  having  heard  of  the  death 

of  Mr.  Guild,  called  at  the  residence.  Mrs.  Kelly  answered 
the  bell,  and  invited  her  in,  and  informed  Mrs.  Guild 
that  the  lady  who  wa.s  at  the  funeral,  was  in  the  parlor. 
Mrs.  Guild  soon  entered,  greeted  Mrs.  Lord  and  intro- 
duced Mrs.  Kelly.  During  the  conversation  her  attend- 
ance at  the  funeral  was  mentioned,  when  to  their  astonish- 
ment she  told  them  she  was  not  present.  In  this  instance 
Mrs.  Lord  was  identified  beyond  a  doubt  by  Mrs.  Kelly  as 
the  person  to  whom  she  had  offered  a  seat,  and  whom  Mrs. 
Guild  had  recognized  from  the  description.  And.  while 
Mrs.  Kelly  had  never  met  Mrs.  Lord  before,  it  was  with 
the  greatest  difficulty  that  she  could  he  convinced  that 
Mrs.  Lord  was  not  present. 

"Many  such  apparitions  have  come  within  the  range 
of  my  own  personal  observation  and  experience.  At  the 
age  of  about  fifteen,  my  brother,  two  years  older  than  my- 
self, was  lying  on  the  bed  dressed  and  asleep.  He  was 
not  well  at  the  time.  I  left  his  bedside,  going  on  an 
errand  to  a  neighbor's,  about  one  block  distant.  "When 
about  half  a  block  from  home  I  looked  up  and  saw  my 
brother,  not  over  forty  feet  ahead  of  me.  going  in  the 
same  direction.  I  thought  it  strange  that  he  should  have 
arisen,  started  out  and  passed  me  without  my  noticing 
him. 

"T  was  within  ten  feet  of  him  when  he  reached  a 
point  in  the  street  opposite  the  neighbor's  house.  Be 
turned,   opened   the   gate,   and   walked   up   the    path   to   the 

front  door.     1  quickly  followed  him.    'flic  door  was  open. 

He   walked    up   the   stepx   and    into   the   house    but    a    short 

distance  ahead  of  me.     As   I  entered   1   inquired  for  my 

In-other,    and    was    surprised    when    told    he    was    not    there, 

and  had  not  been  there.     I  soon  returned  home  and  found 

him  asleep  as   1  had   left    him. 

"Again,  at  the  age  of  about  twenty,  we  had  a  very 
high   spirited   horse.      A    friend   was   visitim_r   with   us   for  a 


216  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

couple  of  weeks.  We  frequently  took  the  horse  out  for 
a  drive.  One  forenoon  I  left  my  friend  in  the  house,  much 
interested  in  reading  a  book. 

"I  was  out  ten  or  fifteen  minutes,  and  returning  I 
met  my  friend  about  half  way  between  the  house  and  barn, 
lie  said  to  me:  'How  is  the  horse?'  'All  right,'  I  said. 
He  passed  on  toward  the  barn.  I  finally  turned,  think- 
ing we  could  hitch  up  the  horse  and  take  a  drive.  As  I 
turned  he  was  approaching  the  stable  door.  I  hurried, 
but  before  I  caught  up  with  him  he  opened  the  door. 
It  creaked  upon  its  hinges.  He  went  in  and  closed  the 
door  after  him.  The  horse  immediately  gave  a  snort  and 
commenced  prancing  in  the  stall.  A  few  days  before  this 
occurrence  my  friend  had  struck  the  horse  for  stepping 
on  his  foot,  and  after  that  the  animal  was  much  frightened 
wdienever  he  entered  the  stable. 

"On  reaching  the  door  I  opened  it  and  went  in.  The 
horse  seemed  still  to  be  frightened  and  snorted  several 
times.  But  my  friend  was  not  there.  And  there  was  no 
egress,  excepting  through  the  door  we  had  entered.  I  went 
to  the  house  and  there  found  him  in  his  chair,  reading 
as  I  had  left  him.  When  I  told  him  what  I  had  seen  he 
was  greatly  astonished  and  said  he  had  not  taken  his  eyes 
from  the  book  since  I  had  left  the  house. 

"At  another  time,  an  acquaintance  went  with  me  to 
call  on  Mr.  B.,  and  as  we  reached  his  residence,  Mr.  B. 
came  down  the  front  steps,  bade  us  good  morning  and 
said :  '  Please  walk  in  and  be  seated.  I  will  soon  return. ' 
We  went  in,  and  the  genuine,  normal  Mr.  B.  met  us  at 
the  door. 

"Dr.  Abercrombie,  in  his  'Intellectual  Philosophy'  re- 
lates the  following  instance:  'The  Rev.  J.  Wilkinson,  a 
dissenting  minister  at  Weymouth,  England,  while  at  the 
Academy  at  Ottery.  Devon,  in  1754,  one  night  dreamed 
that  he  was  going  to  London,  and  that  on  his  way  he  would 
go  to  Gloucester  and  call  on  his  parents.  He  dreamed  that 
he  started  on  his  journey,  and  came  to  his  father's  house 
in  the  night;  that  he  went  to  the  front  door,  found  it 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  817 

fast,  and  then  went  to  the  back  door,  opened  it  and  went 
in;  that  finding  they  were  in  bed,  he  walked  across  the 
mom  and  went  up  stairs  and  entered  the  room  where  his 
father  and  mother  were  in  bed;  that  his  father  was  asleep, 
but  he  found  his  mother  awake,  to  whom  he  said  :  'Mother, 
I  am  going  on  a  long  journey,  and  I  am  come  to  bid  yov 
good-bye.'  Then  the  mother  was  frightened  ami  said:  '0 
dear  son.  thou  art  dead!'  "With  this  he  awoke,  lie  looked 
at  it  as  an  ordinary  dream,  but  had  a  very  distinct  recol- 
lect ion  of  what  had  occurred. 

"A  few  days  after,  in  due  course  of  mail,  he  reo 
a  letter  from  his  father,  addressed  as  though  he  was  dead, 
but  desiring,  if  alive,  to  write  immediately.  The  father 
said  in  the  letter  that  if  he  was  living  he  probably  would 
soon  die,  and  gave  as  a  reason  that  on  such  a  night  giv- 
ing the  date  which  corresponded  with  that  of  the  dream), 
he  had  come  to  them   in  their  room. 

■"Ife  related  that  after  they  were  in  bed  he  fell  asleep, 
but  the  mother  remained  awake.  She  heard  some  one  try  to 
open  the  front  door,  but  finding  it  fast,  went  to  the  back 
door,  which  she  heard  opened,  and  he  came  in  and  walked 
directly  through  the  rooms  up  stairs.  And  sJir  perfectly 
knew  it  t<>  l>r  his  step.  That  he  came  to  her  bedside  and 
said  :  'Mother.  T  am  going  on  a  long  journey,  and  am  come 
to  bid  you  go  '    Upon  which  she  answered  in  fright: 

'0  dear  son.  thou  art  dead!"  which  were  the  very  words  and 
circumstances  of  the  dream.  Rut  in  her  fright  she  neither 
heard  nor  saw  anything  more.  She  awoke  the  father  and 
told  him  what  had  happened  From  this  strange  occur- 
rence his  parents  concluded  that  he  was  dead,  or  would  soon 
die.    But  nothing  remarkable  happened  thereupon. 

"The  solution  of  this  problem  i^  by  no  means  an 
one  for  the  reason  that  we  ar  ifficiently  conversant 

with  the  laws  of  nature  governing  such  phenomena.     The 
spirit  which  animates  the  body  in  earth   life,  begins  its 
progress  and  development  in  the  spirit  world  exactly  wl 
it  leaves  off  here.    All  the  powers  and  faculties  : 

bv  it  there  were  inherent   in   it«  nature  here.      Most   <T  the 


218  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

powers  and  faculties  of  the  spirit,  while  in  the  form,  are 
Intent,  but  continue  their  unfoldment,  growth  and  develop- 
ment throughout  the  eons  of  eternity.  It  is  also  an  es- 
tablished fact  that  at  times  here  on  earth  the  spirit  can 
stand  out  of  its  normal  relation  to  the  body  without  a 
final  separation,  or  death.  At  such  times  it  can  travel 
to  any  place  in  the  universe  as  quickly  as  the  place  can 
be  suggested  in  thought.  This  may  occur  in  the  sleep- 
ing moments,  during  the  trance,  or  in  the  normal,  con- 
scious condition.  Some  of  the  phenomena  manifested  by 
the  disembodied  spirit  can,  at  times,  under  proper  condi- 
tions, be  manifested  by  the  spirit  in  the  form  prior  to  its 
final  dissolution  from  the  body.  Many  spirits  in  earth  life 
are  farther  advanced  in  the  growth  and  development  of 
their  inherent  powers  than  other  spirits  are  in  the  life 
hereafter.  The  fact  of  spirit  materialization  is  well  at- 
tested. While  not  all  disembodied  spirits  can  return  to 
earth  and  form  a  temporary,  material  body  through  which 
to  manifest  their  wondrous  powers,  yet  many  can  do  so. 
There  are  spirits,  while  standing  out  of  the  normal  re- 
lation to  the  body  prior  to  the  final  dissolution,  suffi- 
ciently advanced  to  construct  occasionally  a  temporary 
material  body.  All  disembodied  spirits  cannot  materialize, 
but  all  have  the  inherent  power  to  do  so  when  sufficiently 
advanced.  Nor  can  all  spirits  in  the  form  materialize 
another  body,  separate  and  distinct  from  the  natural  body ; 
but  few  are  sufficiently  advanced  to  do  so. 

"In  another  part  of  this  work  it  is  shown  that  the 
spirit  in  the  form,  by  its  involuntary  powers,  builds  up 
and  supports  the  functions  of  the  physical  body  by  con- 
trolling the  necessary  forces  and  materials  of  the  universe. 
And  the  materialization  or  construction  of  a  temporary 
physical  body,  or  double,  separate  and  distinct  from  the 
natural  body,  by  the  spirit  in  the  form  is  done  by  its  in- 
voluntary powers.  The  exercise  of  these  powers  is  usually, 
but  not  always  unconscious  and  involuntary. 

"When  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord  appeared  at  the  funeral 
of  Mr.  Guild  in  Boston,  in  a  materialized  form,  as  an  ob- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  219 

jective  reality,  separate  ;m<l  distinct  from  her  normal  Belf, 
the  act  of  materialization  was  unconscious  to  her  and  with- 
out her  volition.  But  Mrs.  Lord  was  then  at  the  funeral 
as  an  objective  reality,  separate  and  distinct  from  her 
natural  self,  with  the  muscular  and  physical  powers  of 
Locomotion,  with  judgment,  intelligence  and  the  power  of 
speech,  sin-  was  seen  and  heard  by  a  lady  who  was  hot  a 
medium  or  clairvoyant.  Mrs.  Lord  was  then  in  a  distant 
part  of  the  city,  had  not  heard  of  the  death,  and  conse- 
quently was  not  thinking  of  the  funeral. 

"In  the  ease  of  my  brother,  there  was  a  materialization 
sufficient  to  make  himself  manifest  to  me  and  to  open  the 
gate. 

"In  the  case  of  my  friend,  there  was  an  unconscious 
and  involuntary  materialization.  It  was  an  objective,  vis- 
ible reality,  with  judgment,  reason  and  will,  with  the  power 
of  speech,  and  the  physical  ability  to  open  and  close  the 
stable  door.  And  he  was  unquestionably  visible  to  the 
horse.  Yet,  at  this  time,  his  natural,  normal  self  was  in 
the  house  intently  reading  a  book. 

"In  the  ease  of  Mr.  B.  there  was  unquestionably  a 
materialization.  ;is  an  objective  reality,  seen  and  heard  by 
both  my  acquaintance  and  myself,  and  making  an  intel- 
ligent  and  appropriate  salutation. 

"In  the  ease  related  by  Dr.  Abercrombie,  there  was  a 
materialization  of  Dr.' Wilkinson;  as  an  objective  reality, 
and  distinct  from  his  natural,  normal  self.  His 
mother,  who  had  not  been  asleep,  heard  him  at  the  front 
door,  heard  him  walk  around  to  the  back  door,  heard  him 
open  it  and  walk  across  the  room  and  up  stairs,  and  /. 
his  footsteps.  She  saw  him  outer  the  room  and  conv< 
with  him.  And  a  memory  of  that  conversation  remained 
with  both  mother  and  son.  The  fact  of  the  materialization 
■  lis  to  him  and  was  done  without  his  volition 
except  as  expressed  in  the  consciousness  and  volition  reg- 
istered in  hi-  dream.  Hut  the  incidents  which  transpired 
were  remembered  by  him.  Many  incidents  of  this  kind 
mighl  be  related,  but   the  recital  of  the  f<>re<_roin<.:  will  si  if- 


220  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

fiee.     And  I  am  satisfied  that  the  foregoing  is  a  correct 
solution  of  the  problem.     But  if  not,  why  not?" 

CHRISTIAN   SCIENCE. 

When  "Christian  Science"  was  first  presented  to  the 
spiritualists  of  Boston,  it  was  rejected  as  covering  only  one 
department  of  spiritual  science.  It  presented  nothing  new 
to  Spiritualists  who,  as  a  class,  recognized  spirit  power  in 
its  manipulation  of  matter  and  its  control  of  all  other  forces. 
The  advocate  of  the  new  theory  felt  confident  it  would 
not  be  subjected  to  the  determined  opposition  and  con- 
demnation Spiritualism  was  receiving  from  the  religiously 
orthodox  people.  Nothing  in  it  disturbed  their  especially 
devised  plan  of  socalled  salvation,  or  disputed  their  Mil- 
tonian  story  of  man's  fall  and  his  final  condition  so  graphic- 
ally described  by  Dante. 

Advanced  thinkers  among  Spiritualists  were  then  prac- 
ticing the  methods  of  healing  now  used  so  successfully  by 
Christian  Scientists.  They  believe  in  silent  prayer,  in  the 
concentration  of  spirit  force  and  in  the  exercise  of  trained 
wills  to  bring  the  troubled  spirit  of  the  patient  into  har- 
mony with  itself  and  the  infinite  forces  of  nature.  Many 
Spiritual  societies  were  opening  and  closing  their  meet- 
ings with  silent  prayer  for  the  sick  and  distressed  many 
years  prior  to  this  time. 

The  mediums  most  successful  in  the  exercise  of  their 
healing  gift  practiced  "retiring  into  the  silence"  in  their 
cabinets  or  sanctuaries  for  guidance  and  strength.  They 
also  recognized  the  potency  and  necessity  of  prayer  in  har- 
monizing vibrations  in  connection  with  the  therapeutic  im- 
pulse conveyed  by  their  wills  direct  to  the  diseased  cells 
of  the  patient  by  physical  contact.  Thus  two  important 
methods  were  employed:  That  of  Spirit  operating  from 
within,  under  the  influence  of  the  medium's  control;  and, 
the  transmission  of  spiritual  and  physical  magnetism  by 
contact  of  the  nerve  terminals.  Both  of  these  methods 
ire  scientific,  practical,  effective  and  are  in  keeping  with 
the  laws  of  spirit  and  of  psychology.     Spiritualists  were 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  221 

doI  willing  to  divide  these  forces,  or  avail  themselves  of 
only  one  method.  Hence,  the  founding  of  a  distinct  and 
popular  Beet.  Both  Spiritualists  and  Christian  Scientists 
recognize  th<  possibilities  of  Spirit  power  in  the  body;  both 
teach  and  practice  the  highest  moral  precepts,  and  both 
an-  opposed  by  the  medical  fraternity,  or  "the  docl 
trust."'  that  is  obliged  to  call  to  its  aid  the  Law-makers 
of  the  land  to  check  the  rapidly  growing  popularity  of 
"spirit  healing"  in  cases  beyond  their  skill  and  practice. 
<  »ne  method  employed  by  the  Spiritual  mediums  these 
wise  law-makers  cannot  reach,  namely:  The  so-called  "ab- 
sent treatments"  by  the  medium's  controls  as  herein  re- 
lated. 

MAGNETIC  VIBRATIONS. 

Another  class  of  thinkers  catching  a  glimpse  of  Spirit- 
ual Science  imagine  they  have  discovered  an  emanation 
from  the  human  organism,  which,  when  intensified  by  the 
X-li.iy.  is  sufficiently  potent  to  enable  them  to  photo- 
graph portions  of  the  human  form  in  the  dark.  Mediums 
have  for  years  describe  d  these  emanations,  or  personal  mag- 
netism, by  colors.  Spirit  vibrations  through  physical  or- 
ganisms carry  with  them  corpuscles  visible  to  the  clair- 
voyant eye,  and  there  is  no  scientific  reason  why  the  sen- 
sitized plate  in  the  camera  may  not  detect  the  aura  from 
some  people.  These  vibrations  vary  with  the  will  and 
spiritual  development  of  the  person.  The  vibrations 
carrying  the  eorj  re  modified  by  the  quality  of  the 

physical  organism,  and  the  colors  vary  from  gray  to  the 
higher  shades.  These  the  camera  may  detect  the  same  as  it 
detects  the  ultra-violet  rays  of  the  spectrum.  These  scien- 
tists, like  the  New  Thought  people,  think  they  have  dis- 
covered something  new.  They  are  just  waking  up  to  what 
has  been  taught  from  the  Spiritual  platform  for  half  a 
century. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

EXPERIENCES  OF  MR.  E.   T.  KING,  OF  LIMA,  OHIO. 

Mr.  E.  T.  King,  of  Lima,  Ohio,  sought  admission 
to  one  of  Mrs.  Lord's  seances  in  Boston  late  one  evening. 
He  was  a  stranger  to  every  one  in  the  room.  He  did  not 
give  his  name  or  have  any  conversation  with  any  one 
present.  The  circle  was  ail  arranged  and  they  were  wait- 
ing for  one  absent  party  who  had  engaged  a  seat,  but  who 
did  not  come.  Mr.  King  took  the  vacant  chair.  During 
the  seance  Mrs.  Lord  turned  to  the  stranger  and  said : 
"Several  loved  ones  come  to  you,  sir.  You  have  lost  so 
many, ' '  giving  the  number.  He  replied :  ' '  Yes  the  num- 
ber is  correct."  She  then  said:  "One  seems  to  come 
nearer  than  the  others  and  is  the  dearest  of  them  all. 
The  others  are  making  way  for  her."  "Can  you  tell  who 
she  is,"  he  asked.  She  says  she  is  your  wife  and  that  her 
name  is  Clara.  "Can  you  describe  her?"  he  asked.  "I 
will  try."  In  some  surprise  Mrs.  Lord  said:  "Why,  this 
spirit  looks  very  much  like  me."  "Yes,"  replied  the 
stranger,  I  noticed  that  when  I  first  came  in."  He  then 
made  a  mental  request  that,  if  it  was  the  one  he  hoped 
and  believed  it  was,  she  would  take  a  ring  from  his  little 
finger  where  he  had  placed  it  after  he  had  entered  the 
seance  room,  and  after  the  light  had  been  extinguished. 
The  ring  was  immediately  and  eagerly  grasped  and  held  up 
so  that  Mrs.  Lord  could  see  it.  She  described  it  very 
minutely. 

This  was  his  first  experience  at  any  seance.  He  went 
away  greatly  rejoiced,  and  Avith  all  his  old  ideas  of  hell 
and  heaven  and  resurrected  bodies  completely  changed. 

Later  in  the  year,  Mrs.  Lord,  on  her  way  west,  visited 
Lima.     She  arrived   at  Mr.   King's  home   after  dark  and 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  223 

.just  as  the  greater  pari  of  the  visitors  had  come  in  and 
been  seated.  All  were  strangers  to  her.  The  host,  by  way 
of  introduction,  said:  "1  will  only  say.  Mrs.  Lord,  Ladies 
and  gentlemen,  and  not  oame  one  of  you,  so  thai  you  can- 
not  imagine  any  collusion  on  my  part,  or  that  she  has  been 
posted  by  any  one."  The  seance  was  filled  with  Lima's 
best  citizens  and  the  tests  were  definite  and  wonderfully 
good. 

The  spirit  of  a  young  man  by  the  oame  of  Smith 
came  to  his  father.  There  had  been  ill-feeling  between 
them,  on  account  of  the  son's  habit  of  drinking.  Return- 
ing from  a  hunting  trip,  overcome  with  drink  and  fatigue, 
he  sat  down  upon  the  railroad  track  and  fell  asleep  to 
awaken  where*  the  troubles  of  physical  life  are  no  more. 
His  father   was  a    minister,  yet    his   religion  did  not    abate 

the  anguish  of  his  heart,  lie  came  to  the  seance  alone, 
but  every  little  while  In1  expressed  the  wish  to  have  his 
heart-broken  wife  hear  the  messages  from  across  the  dis- 
tances measured  by  his  boy's  contrite  and  Loving  heart. 
If  all  the  world  could  have  Listened  to  this  spirit 
voice  proclaiming  his  penitence  and  regret,  that  he  had 
transgressed  the  divine  laws  of  his  being,  there  certainly 

would  be  less  drunkenness  and  sin.  lie  spoke  of  a  young 
Lady    whom    he    Loved    with    that    one    sweet     love    that     is 

precious  t<>  all  lives,  lie  eulogized  her  womanly  graces 
and  told  the  weeping  father  to  be  good  to  her.  and  to  tell 
her  he  had  returned  many  times  to  watch  over  her.  "For- 
give me.  father,"  was  the  plaint  of  his  sin-stricken  spirit. 
"'Tell  my  mother  to  forgive  me,  tell  them  all  to  forgive 
my  wayward  life  ami  its  ads."  Thus  spoke  the  spirit  of 
this  misguided  youth  who  let  drink  overcome  his  better 
self,  bis  love   for  all   that    was  good   and   true,   until   he  had 

passed    into   the   transcendenl    light   and   -race   of   God's 

beautiful  land:  and.  now.  he  returned  to  unburden  his 
soul  to  the  dear  old  father,  who.  only  too  gladly  heard 
the  glorious  assurance  of  his  reform. 

The  next  morning,  while  Mrs.  Lord  sat  upon  a  Bofa 
a   lil tie  toy  music  box,  some  distance  from  any  one  in  the 


224  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

room,  began  to  play,  independent  of  the  touch  of  mortal 
fingers.  The  guitar  placed  under  the  sofa  was  played  and 
was  pushed  out  upon  the  floor  where  it  continued  play- 
ing. White  and  most  shapely  hands  reached  out  from 
under  the  sofa.  A  pencil  and  paper  were  put  under  the 
sofa  and  messages  were  received.  All  these  manifesta- 
tions were  witnessed  by  Mr.  King,  his  mother  and  sister, 
and  two  or  three  others.  They  occurred  in  the  light  of 
an  early  morning  sun. 

RECOVERS  A  LOST  PIN. 

On  leaving  Lima  she  went  into  the  cars  at  the  Junc- 
tion, going  west,  when  a  spirit  voice  said:  "Yon  have 
lost  your  pin."  She  was  then  given  a  minute  description 
of  a  gentleman  who  had  picked  it  up.  She  went  back, 
found  the  gentleman  described,  and  asked  him  for  the 
pin!  He  started  and  said:  "Who  told  you  I  had  the 
pin?"  Mrs.  Lord  as  promptly  answered:  "A  spirit." 
"No,  show  me!"  he  said,  looking  both  amused  and  half 
frightened.  She  answered:  "Yes,  sir,  I  would  stop  and 
tell  you  more,  but  my  train  leaves  directly,  and  I  must 
go  back  to  my  car."  She  had  recovered  her  pin  and 
was   happy,   as   it  was   quite   valuable. 

RESCUES  A  WAYWARD  GIRL. 

Returning  to  Chicago  from  Rockford,  Illinois,  Mrs. 
Lord  met  an  old  lady  who  seemed  to  be  in  great  trouble 
and  distress.  Approaching  her  she  asked  if  she  could 
help  her  in  any  way.  To  this  the  woman  replied:  "No, 
no,  my  sorrow  is  too  deep  to  ever  be  relieved."  A  spirit 
voice  said:  "She. has  lost  a  daughter  who  has  run  away 
with  a  vagabond.  Tell  her."  Mrs.  Lord  did  so  and  told 
the  number  of  the  house  in  Chicago  where  she  could  be 
found,  and  further  stated  that  her  daughter  would  be  re- 
claimed and  yet  be  a  comfort  to  her.  "But  how  can  a 
stranger  find  the  place  you  name?"  Mrs.  Lord  said: 
"I  will  go  with  you."  When  they  arrived  in  the  city, 
Mrs.  Lord  proceeded  to  the  number  given  her  by  the  spirit 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  225 

jiihI  found  ii  as  directed.  She  rang  the  bell  and  asked 
for  the  girl  named  by  the  spirit  and  was  told  must  de- 
cidely  thai  do  such  person  was  there.  The  spirit  vein' 
said:  "It  is  untrue,  she  is  here.  Tell  her  your  Bource 
of  information." 

.Mrs.  Lord  said  kindly.  "Oh,  yes,  she  is,  the  spirit  of 
her  dead  father  says  she  is  here  and  we  must  have  her. 
Her  almost  broken-hearted  mother  is  out  here  in  the  car- 
riage" The  woman's  face  paled,  visibly,  and  she  Said: 
"There  is  a  young  girl  here  who  is  quite  a  stranger,  and 
I  will  go  and  see  her." 

Mis.  Lord  said:  "Carry  this  message  from  a  stranger. 
That  in  the  name  of  God  and  her  mother  she  must  come 
to  the  door." 

The  message  was  given,  when  a  fair,  sweet,  but  most 
wayward  looking  creature  came  to  the  door.  "Are  you 
Stella?"  "Yes,"  her  trembling  lips  answered.  "Then 
come  out  here."  She  was  led  to  the  carriage,  where  the 
almost  fainting  mother  awaited  her.  And  such  a  meet- 
in  tr!  Dear  angels,  draw  a  veil  that  human  eyes  may  not 
behold  the  lost  children  of  fashion  and  sin,  and  the  deadly 
anguish  of  heart-sick  mothers.  That  young  girl  is  to- 
day a  strong,  tender,  loving-hearted  daughter,  repentent, 
truly  good,  and  virtuous.     Few  know  the  sin  of  her  youth. 

A   CATHOLIC   PRIEST   REBUKES    A    METHODIST. 
At    ;i  seance  held    in    .Mason   City,   Illinois,  some  of  the 

most  prejudiced  church  members  attended.  A  prominent 
and  highly  educated  Catholic  Priesl  was  also  present. 
He  took  much  interesl  in  Mrs.  Lord's  coming  and  was  in- 
strumental in  inducing  her  t<>  visit  the  place.     Before  the 

Beanc □ meed  she  told  him  he  had  lost  a  lovely,  fair- 
haired  sister.  She  gave  him  her  name,  "Margaret,"  tell- 
ing him  she  was  drowned,  nil  of  which  was  true.  After 
he  had  come  to  America  he  hail  senl  hack  for  his  sister, 
then  twelve  years  old.  She  started,  but  the  vessel  was 
never  heard  from  after  it  left  Ireland.  The  spirit  gave 
— s 


226  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

him  the  particulars,  the  name  of  the  ship,  how  the  storm 
overtook  them  and  finally  swallowed  them  up. 

During  the  seance  a  good  old  Methodist,  who  came  to 
make  trouble,  fully  believing  that  the  so-called  manifesta- 
tions were,  evil,  greatly  disturbed  the  investigators.  This 
priest  arose  with  dignity  and  calling  for  a  light,  said:  "If 
Mr.  So  and  So  will  leave  the  seance,  I  will  be  only  too 
glad  to  pay  the  price  of  his  admission."  This  cast  con- 
sternation over  the  whole  party  that  a  Catholic  should  so 
boldly  defy  public  opinion  and  rebuke  the  religious  bigot, 
lie  promised  to  behave,  and  the  light  was  once  more  ex- 
tinguished and  harmony  restored. 

A   BAND   OF   INDIANS  VISIT   A   SEANCE. 

An  unusual  seance  was  held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Peak,  at  the  Highlands  of  Boston.  There  were 
twenty-five  present.  In  this  company  was  Mr.  Charles 
Sullivan,  known  to  all  New  England  Spiritualists  as  a 
wonderful  character  impersonator,  a  medium  of  rare  and 
matchless  ability,  as  well  as  a  most  upright  and  honorable 
gentleman,  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him  for  his  integrity 
of  purpose  and  character. 

Visitors  at  Onset  Bay,  Lake  Pleasant  and  Queen  City 
Park  camp  meetings  in  1880-90,  will  recall  the  grand 
utterances  of  his  controls  "Eagle  the  Red  Man,"  as  well 
as  the  prophecies  of  "Old  Mollie,"  and  the  quaint  Conti- 
nental sayings  of  "Old  Conkey." 

Mr.  Horace  Weston,  the  well  known  artist  of  Boston, 
was  also  present.  During  the  seance  a  spirit  voice  re- 
quested those  present  to  make  an  opening  in  the  circle 
and  make  it  larger  by  stretching  hands  farther  apart. 
They  were  then  asked  to  sing.  As  the  singing  commenced, 
Indians  could  be  seen  filing  into  the  room.  They  were  big 
fellows,  full  of  might  and  power.  As  they  approached 
the  sitters  they  jumped  over  the  out-stretched  hands 
where  the  opening  had  been  made.  They  filed  around  the 
medium,  who  sat  in  the  center  of  the  circle  as  usual,  and 
commenced  their  dance,  and  embellished  the  performance 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  227 

by  waving  their  lights  and  chanting  a  weird  Bong  in  their 
own  Language.  Alter  the  dance  they  retired  as  they  had 
conic.  i>y  jumping  over  the  out-stretched  hands.    After  this 

came  the  spirit  friends  of  those  who  were  present.  Spirit 
lights  revealed  faces  and  forms  to  many  who  had  never 
seen  or  heard  of  the  return  of  their  departed  ones.  Many 
voices  Bang,  as  that  most  excellent  singer,  Mr.  Sullivan, 
Led  tlie  way.  Voices  loud  and  clear  caught  up  the  strains 
and  made  glorious  harmony.  Mr.  Peak  had  lost  a  brother, 
dames,  who  sang  with  his  brother  present  and  their  voices 
rang  out  in  sweetest  melody.  All  who  had  ever  heard  them 
sing  readily  recognized  the  spirit  voice.  Mr.  Weston's 
mother  came.  Some  kindly,  helpful  spirit  held  a  Lighl 
above  her  bending  head,  and  he  saw  her.  knew  her,  and 
instantly  said:  "Mother,  mother,  I  see  you."  Several. 
bitting  near  him.  also  saw  her.  He  saw  her  plainly  enough 
to  recognize  her  lace  cap  — the  same  figured  laee  which 
he  had  so  often'  traced  with  magical  brush  when  he  painted 
her  portrait  with  this  same  cap.  He  knew  her  and  her 
clothing.  That  night  will  never  lie  forgotten  by  those 
present,  who  felt  little  children  creep  into  their  laps  and 
nestle   there   as   of  old.   as  though   death   had   never   been. 


\    DAYLIGHT    SEANCE. 

In  1884,  a  daylight* seance  was  held  at  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Smith  the  organ  Builder  in  Boston.  There  were 
present:  Mr.  H.  B.  and  E.  \Y.  Smith.  Mrs.  Teak  and  her 
son  John,  Mrs.  A.  II.  Williams  and  others.  During  the 
seance  .Mr.  E.  W.  Smith  placed  a  ring  upon  the  floor 
underneath  the  table  and  holding  his  hand  some  distance 
from  the  table,  made  the  request  that  they  give  it  to  him. 
In  a  mom. 'lit  a  little,  dark,  dainty  hand  laid  the  ping  in 
his  hand  and  fled  hack  beneath  the  table  which  had  been 
darkened  for  this  purpose.  Paper  ami  pencil  was  placed 
under  the  table  and  messages  were  given  to  several,  Bigned 
by  the  names  of  their  loved  ones,  and  containing  much 
needed  information  and  answers  to  mental  questions  which 


228  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

were  acknowledged  to  be  correct.    Others  received  the  names 
and  dates  of  death  of  their  friends. 

The  first  seance  that  Mr.  E.  W.  Smith  attended,  he 
came  a  stranger  to  Mrs.  Lord  and  to  all  of  the  company. 
He  had  lost  a  much  loved  and  beautiful  Avife.  She  came 
to  him  bringing  a  little  child  they  had  lost;  and,  by  the 
most  unmistakable  test,  known  only  to  her  and  to  him, 
made  herself  known  and  was  recognized  beyond  doubt  or 
question.  His  spirit  friends  asked  for  his  brother  and 
said  they  would  like  to  see  him.  He  made  no  reply  to 
this  request,  but,  in  a  few  days,  he  brought  his  brother. 
They  parted  at  the  door  and  did  not  speak  or  look  at 
each  other  as  they  came  into  the  seance  room.  No  one 
surmised  the  relationship.  When  the  seance  commenced 
they  sat  apart.  Useless  precaution !  They  were  soon 
found  by  the  dear  ones  whom  they  sought  from  the  upper 
spheres.  Mr.  E.  W.  Smith  made  a  mental  request  that 
they  remove  a  ring  which  belonged  to  iiis  brother  on  the 
other  side  of  the  room.  This  was  quickly  done,  then 
each  was  addressed  by  name  in  loving  terms.  E.  W.  Smith 
was  thanked  for  his  kindness  in  bringing  the  brother.  While 
all  this  was  occurring  to  those  two,  the  others  in  the  circle 
were  receiving  as  much  more  from  their  loved  ones. 

SPIRITS    SPEAK    THEIR    NATIVE    LANGUAGE. 

When  these  seances  were  attended  by  people  speaking 
language  other  than  the  English,  their  spirit  friends  al- 
ways addressed  them  in  their  native  tongues.  Some  in 
German,  French,  Spanish,  Portuguese,  and  even  in  Chinese. 
In  one  instance  a  spirit  came  to  a  gentleman  in  St.  Louis, 
a  highly  cultivated  Englishman,  Mr.  Black,  who  had  spent 
many  years  as  master  of  a  tea  plantation  in  the  Island 
of  Ceylon  and  addressed  him  in  a  peculiar  Ceylonese 
dialect,  much  to  his  surprise  and  that  of  his  wife,  they  be- 
ing the  only  people  in  the  seance  who  understood  the 
language  spoken. 

The  manifestations  in  all  of  these  seances  were  never 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  229 

according  to  any  program;  never  twice  alike,  and  always 
appertained   to  the  people   present;  were  always  a   part 

of  their   lives   and  the   lives  of  their  absent  or   departed 

friends;  were  natural  and  most  essentially  human,  conclu- 
sive and  convincing  to  thinking  people:  Bhowing  that  the 
next  life  is  a  busy,  natural  and  real  existence;  showing  that 
will  and  memory  are  retained  and  are  essential:  that  death 
produces  no  immediate  and  marvelous  change  in  character 
and  mode  of  thought;  that  life  is  simply  continued  under 
changed  conditions — conditions  permitting-  more  rapid 
progress,  if  the  spirit  so  wills  it.  The  wisest  of  those  re- 
turning tell  us  that  this  earth  life  is  necessary  for  ex- 
perience, for  the  building  of  character,  instead  of  buUd- 
ing  upon  the  narrow  thread  of  spiritual  existence;  and, 
that  none  should  come  into,  or  be  forced  into  spiritual  ex- 
istence until  their  work  here  is  accomplished,  under  penalty 
of  doing  it  under  greater  difficulties— for  it  must  be 
done,  and  done  rightly. 

They  tell  us  to  build  so  that  we  will  not  have  to  spend 
much  valuable  time  tearing  down  to  build  on  an 
acceptable  basis— as  the  tearing  down  process— the  regret, 
is  punishment  most  severe.  How  earnestly  these  returning 
spirits  urge  all  to  better,  nobler  and  more  unselfish  lives! 
Parents  come  back  to  speak  in  loving  tones  of  remonstrance 
to  an  erring  son.  or  daughter;  some  faithful  wife  addresses 
a  husband  in  tenderesl  memories,  and  tells  him  not  to  swear, 
drink,  or  use  tobacco,  to  live  a  good  and  pure  life;  they 
admonish  us  to  be  Christians  in  the  higher  sense  of  the 
word,  that  to  do  good  i>  the  highest  type  of  the  God  prin- 
ciple.    Little  children,  in  tender  childish  tones,  send  nies- 

-  to  those  at  home.     These  lessons  teach  that  love,  the 

greatest   thing,-  -greatest   force  in  the  world,   bridges  all 

life,   dares   all    conditions  and   defies  death    itself.      Where-' 

ever  we  open  the  way,  our  loved  ones,  and  those  Loving 

us.    come    hurrying   from    their   celestial    homes   to   give    us 

cheer,  words  of  encouragemenl  and  advice,  assisting  us  in 

many   ways. 

In  Chicago  to-day  there  is  a  prominenl  hotel  man  who 


230  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

came  into  possession  of  several  West  Side  lots  through 
the  interposition  of  his  spirit  father  and  grandfather  who 
told  the  gentleman,  while  he  was  in  one  of  these  seances, 
where  to  find  the  deeds  in  the  old  homestead  out  of  the 
eity,  in  an  old  box  of  papers  in  the  attic.  They  were  found 
as  directed  and  were  very  valuable. 

Mrs.  Young,  of  Madison  street,  Chicago,  who  had  a 
drinking  son  and  husband,  came  to  Mrs.  Lord  to  ask  advice. 
She  was  immediately  told  her  errand,  by  her  spirit  friends. 
They  bade  her  wait  and  not  to  scold,  but  to  talk  gently  to  the 
erring  ones ;  and,  that  through  the  help  of  loving  friends 
and  relatives  in  spirit  life,  they  should  be  redeemed;  and, 
truly  they  were  in  a  few  weeks.  All  three  called  upon  Mrs. 
Lord  and  related  their  experience.  Some  of  our  celebrated 
men  were  thus  redeemed  from  drink,  profanity  and  the 
use  of  tobacco.  Thousands  of  souls  have  entered  a  new  life 
after  the  continuity  of  life  and  the  return  of  their  loved 
ones  was  demonstrated  to  them. 

A  gentleman  of  note,  a  judge,  attended  Mrs.  Lord's 
seance  out  of  mere  curiosity.  He  had  previously  warned 
the  medium  she  could  not  convert  him  and  that  she  need 
not  try.  When  the  seance  was  nearly  finished,  he  asked 
her  to  see  for  him,  just  for  fun,  if  any  of  his  defunct 
relatives  were  near  him. 

She  replied:  "Yes,  there  are  many,  but  I  guess  I  had 
better  not  tell  you,  for  you  might  know  them,  and  you  know 
you  don't  want  to  believe." 

"Well,  tell  me."  Before  she  could  answer  him,  his 
father's  voice  called  his  name,  gave  his  own  name,  and  said : 
"Here,  Henry,  here  is  your  grandma  who  loved  you  so 
well."  "As  much  as  ever."  said  the  crrandmother 's  voice. 
Then  came  longer  conversations  between  them  which 
brought  tears  from  the  unbeliever.  At  last,  the  voice  said : 
"Don't  go,  my  son,  to  the  place  where  you  promised  to 
go  to-night.  Don't  go;  Ave  heard  you  make  the  arrange- 
ments. ' '  He  spoke  up  :  "  Father.  I  won 't,  so  help  me  God, 
I  won't.  This  ha.s  convinced  me,  for  no  one  but  myself  knew 
that.     I  won't  go."     He  was  the  most  intenselv  interested 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  231 

person  in  thai  room.  He  visited  many  other  mediums  in 
all  parts  of  the  country  until  the  angels  took  him  home. 
He  was  a  Qoble,  brave,  talented  gentleman,  who  loved  tin* 

truth   and    for  the  truth's  sake. 

While  .Mrs.  Lord  was  boarding  with  Mrs.  Dr.  Cutter 
at  Til1-  Tremonl  street.  Boston,  in  '74,  stie  was  engaged 
to  hold  a  seance  by  Mr.  Lucian  Bigelow  of  the  Continental 
Hotel  on  Washington  street.  Several  celebrities  were  pres- 
ent, among  the  number  was  Governor  Rice  and  John  G. 
Whittier,  Mrs.  Louisa  R.  Guild  and  others.  The  Seance 
was  unusually  good.  Mrs.  Biglow,  a  most  charming  lady, 
asked  that  a  dress  cap  should  be  taken  from  her  head  and 
put  upon  a  clock  some  distance  out  of  the  circle.  Imme- 
diately the  cap  was  untied  and  quickly  taken  from  her 
head.  There  was  no  one  outside  of  the  circle.  Both  hands 
of  the  medium  were,  at  the  time,  held  by  some  of  the 
skeptical  ones  present.  Upon  lighting  the  light,  the  cap  was 
found  neatly  tied  on  the  clock,  as  if  a  human  head  was 
enclosed. 

Many  names  were  given  by  the  spirits,  speaking  in 
their  own  voices.  The  medium  nave  many  startling  and 
convincing  incidents  in  the  lives  of  their  spirit  friends 
which  were  known  and  well  remembered.  In  every  case, 
the  names  given,  the  date  of  death,  mode  of  burial,  and  the 
many  incidents  related  were  readily  acknowledged  by  those 
present,  who  did  not  fear  to  give  assent  and  approval  to 
facts  and  truths  for  fear  they  mighl  give  something  away 
that  woidd  help  the  medium  in  describing,  as  is  often  the 
case  with  people  with  less  intelligence.  Meeting  their  spirit 
friends  on  coiiniion  ground  with  the  same  frank,  \'ifr  and 
truthful  confidence,  with  which  all  like  to  be  greeted  when 
calling    upon     friends    and    relatives,    made    the    conditions 

very  favorable  for  their  departed  loved  ones  to  manifest. 
These  thinking  men  and  women,  these  men  noted  for  their 
scholarly  attainments,  were  convinced  that  their  spirit 
friends  had  not  changed  very  much,  hut  were  still  essen- 
tially human,  and  still  interested  in  human  affairs  and  in 
working  out   the  problems  of  science,  of  government   and 


232  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

of  sociology  in  which  they  were  still  laboring — possibly  still 
building  characters  not  completed  in  their  earth  life.  Such 
were  some  of  the  comments  and  conclusions  of  the  emi- 
nent people  present  on  this  occasion. 

The  quality — mental,  spiritual  and  magnetic — of  these 
celebrated  people;  their  kindly,  gracious  manner;  their 
honest  unselfish  feeling;  their  cleanly,  lofty  thoughts,  all 
combined  to  attract  the  higher  intelligences  and  open  wide 
the  door- for  manifestations  both  satisfactory  and  convinc- 
ing. 

Other  things  not  intervening,  the  sitters  make  or  un- 
make their  seance.  All  these  phenomena  are  and  must  be, 
on  natural  lines,  according  to  natural  law.  As  well  turn 
K  fool  into  the  chemist's  laboratory  and  the  electrician's 
workshop  and  expect  satisfactory  results.  Most  people  have 
sense  enough  to  let  strange  chemicals  alone  and  to  keep 
their  hands  off  live  wires — and  refrain  from  dictating  to 
the  masters  of  these  sciences  how  they  should  compound 
their  chemicals  and  how  to  handle  potential  currents.  At- 
tend a  seance  and  note  the  comments  of  those  who  know  the 
least  about  life  and  its  strange,  mysterious  forces  and  its 
possibilities,  and  see  how  they  limit  everything  to  their 
experience,  and  deny  everything  that  is  beyond  their 
senses  and  experience.  There  are  those  who  "rush  in 
where  angels  fear  to  tread,"  especially  at  a  spiritual 
seance. 

So  satisfactory  was  this  seance  and  such  a  concourse 
of  spirits  gathered  to  witness  it,  who  were  not  permitted 
to  take  part,  as  is  always  the  case;  and,  so  favorable  were 
the  conditions  that  there  was  a  later  performance  after 
the  medium  had  returned  to  Mrs.  Dr.  Cutter's  for  the 
night. 

THEY  MAKE  A  NIGHT  OF  IT. 

The  control,  Clarence,  is  always  master  of  Mrs.  Lord's 
seances.  When  he  is  absent,  not  a  single  manifestation 
occurs.  As  "order  is  heaven's  first  law,"  so  it  is  in  the 
seance.     He  admits  on  the  inside  of  the  circle,  as  a  general 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  233 

rule,  only  these  spirits  who  have  friends  in  the  circle. 
Hundreds  of  spirits  are  attracted  by  the  spiritual  radiance 
of  such  gatherings,  some  attracted  by  curiosity— a 
quality  possessed  by  many  people  in  the  body.  Others  are 
attracted  by  a  desire  to  learn,  and  all  are  anxious  to  get 
into  the  circle.  To  admit  all  would  be  worse  than  con- 
fusion. Not  all  spirits  know  how  to  resume  their  contact 
with  matter,  how  to  handle  and  hold  the  polarizing  force, 
and  how  to  manifest,  even  how  to  talk.  Clarence  «s  he 
terms  his  profession  ixi  the  seance  is  the  "form  builder." 
Order,  quiet,  and  harmony— and  harmony  covers  a  multi- 
tude of  thin<rs.  such  as  thought,  feeling  and  purpose— are 
:m]  essentia]  to  these  manifestations.  Very  often,  the  hardest 
work  is  harmonizing  refractory  elements,  overcoming  con- 
ditions brought  into  the  seanee  by  the  sitters,  such  as 
narcotics,  stimulants,  and  antagonisms  between  sitters. 
Such  thought  vibrations  are  the  most  inciting  and  disin- 
tegrating forces  that  can  be  brought  into  a  materializing 
seance.  Truly  the  sitters  make  their  own  seance,  even  as 
they  all  make  their  own  successes  and  failures  in  life.  In 
the  great  universe  of  law  there  are  no  accidents,  all  is 
cause  and  effect. 

Arriving  at  home,  wearied  by  the  draught  upon  every 
nerve.  Mrs.  Lord  hastened  to  her  room  to  find  her  maid 
in  bed,  but  not  asleep.  Tier  first  words  were:  "Oh.  Mrs, 
Lord,  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,  some  one  has  been 
walking  around  the  room  all  the  evening." 

The  medium  said  "Not  with  all  this  light,  surely, 
Lizzie?"  "Yes,  yes,"  came  a  frightened  whisper,  as  she 
looked  around  expecting  some  one  to  appear  from  the 
cornel's  of  the  room.  Being  reassured,  she  arose  and  helped 
Mrs.  Lord  to  bed.  Tim  fire  in  the  grate  made  the  room  as 
light  as  a  lamp  lighl  could  possibly  have  done.  The  girl 
had  crept  into  bed  again  and  they  were  all  prepared  for 
Bleep.  Mrs.  Lord  had  dropped  asleep  when  she  was  awak- 
ened by  a  cry  from  the  girL    "Oh.  they  are  here  again." 

Sure  enough,  as  if  a  marching  army  had  installed 
themselves  in  the  room.     The  bed-springs  were  drummed 


234  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

upon  by  the  mid-night  marauders,  and  such  a  bedlam, 
such  a  din  as  they  created  would  have  done  credit  to  a 
Chinese  theater.  Off  went  all  the  bedding  and  half  the 
night  apparel  of  these  terrified  women.  Wearing  apparel 
and  bed  clothes  went  flying  through  the  air  in  every  direc- 
tion. The  air  seemed  stirred  by  visible  and  invisible 
wings.  Whispering  voices,  low  laughing  voices,  seemed 
all  about  them  in  this  well  lighted  room.  Hands  tugged 
and  pulled  at  the  mattresses  as  if  they  would  send  them, 
too,  after  the  bedding.  Presently  they  got  their  beds  in 
order  and  carefully  crawled  into  them. 

Again  the  manifestations  commenced  stronger  than 
ever.  Their  screams  awakened  the  household  and  brought 
Mr,  and  Mrs.  Cutter  to  the  room,  and  presently  their  son 
George,  a  young  and  intelligent  enquirer,  who  slept  in 
the  upper  rooms  and  some  distance  away,  came.  They 
were  all  met  at  the  open  door  with  flying  pillows,  sheets, 
towels,  night  dresses  and  various  other  articles.  Mrs. 
Cutter  came  first,  and  back  of  her  a  few  steps  her  husband. 
She  was  at  the  door  when  he  was  on  the  stairs,  coming  up. 
Zip,  zip,  went  the  pillows  and  blankets.  One  blanket  fell 
over  his  head.  Once  in  the  room  they  all  tried  to  hold  the 
clothing  on  to  the  bed,  tried  to  stop  the  noises  that  could 
be  heard  a  block  away.  The  medium,  in  her  wearied  con- 
dition, became  nervous  and  excited  and  was  crying,  "Mama 
Cutter,  stop  this,  stop  this." 

Mama  Cutter  tried  to  soothe  them  as  well  as  stay  the 
tumult,  but  it  could  not  be  done.  They  grew  bolder  and 
carried  on  worse  than  ever.  They  again  threw  off  the 
bed  clothes,  regardless  of  main  force  from  all  present 
holding  on  to  them.  They  played  upon  the  springs,  guitar, 
music  box  and  kept  up  the  performance  until  half  past 
foui-  in  the  morning,  and  did  not  stop  until  they  were  ap- 
peased by  promises  to  supply  them  with  a  telegraph  in- 
strument, through  which  they  could  talk  and  tell  what  they 
wanted.  They  said  if  they  had  such  an  instrument  they 
could  operate  their  batteries  and  make  good  their  words 
in  daylight,  when  there  could  be  no  possibility  of  collusion 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     ANn     LIFE.  235 

or  fraud.  All  the  participants  will  Long  remember  thai 
eventful  right.  It  was  remarkable  even  to  those  con- 
stantly familiar  with  the  manifestations.     Mr.  and   Mis. 

Cutter  and  son  declared  it  was  one  of  the  most  satisfac- 
tory  and   convincing  seances  they   had   ever   witnessed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

SPIRITUAL  PHENOMENA  APPRECIABLE  TO  PHYSICAL  SENSES. 

"Truth,"  says  Von  Muler,  "is  the  property  of  God, 
the  pursuit  of  Truth  belongs  to  man." 

Nowhere  has  infinite  wisdom  fully  revealed,  or  asked 
us  to  accept,  truth  by  faith  alone.  Nor  has  any  ban  been 
placed  upon  the  pursuit  of  any  truth,  except  by  man  for 
his  own  selfish  purposes.  The  right  to  seek  truth  is  guar- 
anteed by  all  institutions  that  do  not  try  to  fetter  the 
soul  as  well  as  the  body. 

We  are  placed  in  nature's  great  pavilion,  with  its 
fine  landscapes,  its  mountain  heights,  its  sunlit  dells  and 
shadowy  gorges;  with  its  rising  suns  and  declining  days; 
with  its  waterfalls,  its  placid  lakes  and  surging  seas,  and 
are  prompted  by  curiosity  to  reason,  to  understand  and 
to  comprehend  these  varied  forms  and  manifestations. 

The  magical  silence  of  moving  worlds,  as  they  sweep 
through  infinite  space;  the  quiet  of  the  deep  and  gloomy 
forests;  the  solemn  moan  of  their  restless  branches  when 
the  raging  storm  and  resistless  winds  sweep  over  them; 
the  sublime  chorus  of  the  varied  manifestations  of  all  life; 
the  wonderful  phenomena  of  individual  forces  and  infinite 
intelligence  on  every  hand  at  once  command  our  most 
serious  attention.  Nothing  bars  or  checks  our  investigation 
of  all  these  beauties— all  these  mysteries.  There  are  no 
edicts  in  our  way  until  we  approach  the  one  great  problem, 
the  solution  of  which  means  more  to  man  than  all  others; 
whose  solution  affords  a  basis  upon  which  to  build  a  safe, 
and  satisfactory  code  of  ethics.  Here  we  encounter  the 
first  great  "Ecclesiastical  Trust."  Here  the  Church,  that 
most  puissant  ruler  of  man's  intellect,  intervenes  to  stop 
all  bold  thinkers ;  to  crucify  them ;  burn  them  at  the  stake ; 
hand  them  the  poisoned  cup  and  confine  them  in  Monastic 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  237 

dungeons.  Its  ipst  dixit  h;is  been,  "Believe  or  be  forever 
lost."  While  thf  one  greal  purpose  of  .-ill  religious  thoughl 
in  all  ages,  has  been  to  solve  this  mysterious  problem:  "If 
a  man  die,  shall  he  live  again t"  yei  the  Church  has  re- 
sisted every  attempt  at  a  demonstration  of  what  they  so 
seriously  demand  we  shall  believe.  Jesus,  the  Christ-  the 
medium— undertook  to  demonstrate  this  fact  and  Roman 
law  put  him  to  death.  Rome  centuries  ago  Lan  Ting- Yang, 
a  Chinese  ruler,  put  Yen  and  his  wife  to  death  for  a  sim- 
ilar offense,  and  later — 1692 — our  <rood  old  New  England 
Puritans,  who  adopted  a  Magna  Charter,  guaranteeing  to 
all  the  right  to  worship  according  to  the  dictates  of  their 
own  conscience,  tarnished  the  <rlorious  banner  of  liberty 
witli  the  Salem  Mass.  executions.  Four  hundred  years 
have  not  sufficed  to  eradicate  from  religious  thought  the 
intolerance  of  those  austere  people  who  Bought  this  country 
for  religious  freedom.  Thus  has  all  religious  thought 
traveled  over  much  the  same  ground,  in  the  sane1  way,  to 
solve  its  problems,  or  to  dodge  them,  if  the  solution  dis 
turbed  their  easy  and  pleasant  security.  Approaching  this 
greal  problem,  we  find  the  menacing  hand  of  priest  and 
follower  raised  to  bar  the  way.  Stranger  than  all  else, 
the  shadow  of  that  hand  awes  science  into  submission. 
From  facts.  — aye  from  1  rifles  less  than  "the  pressure  of 
light,   lighter   than   gravity,"— nothing   too    insignificant, 

ace  evolves  and  develops  laws  of  action:  probes  and 
pries  into  the  principles  of  motion:  tries  all  forces  and 
combination  of  forces— and  slops  at  this  one  problem — 
the  most  important  of  nil:  fearing  to  recognize  the  persist- 
ency and  continuity  of  the  one  only  force  manifestini 
thought   and   intelligence. 

The  world  moves  in  spite  >'\'  the  conservatism  or  cow- 

ardi f  scientists,  as  the  case  may  he.    Creeds  are  jostled, 

thinkers  are  coming  from  all  classes  and  spiritual  phenom- 
ena are  in  every  hamlet  and  in  the  homes  of  all  thinkers. 
These  are  the  ones  to  whom  it  appeals,  and  from  whom 
spiritualists   come    with    unswerving    faith    and    with    their 

ntifie  knowledge  of  the  facts  of  the  great  hereafter 


£38  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Nature  has  not  demonstrated  the  continuity  of  life 
any  more  than  she  lias  that  the  three  angles  of  a  triangle 
are  equal  to  two  right  angles,  or  any  more  than  she  has 
demonstrated  the  undulatory  theory  of  light  to  he  more 
scientific  than  the'  theory  of  emission,  hut  she  gives  us 
facts  and  gives  us  reason,  and  leaves  us  to  draw  our  own 
conclusions,  to  solve  the  problem  of  life,  to  understand 
the  forces  of  nature,  and  to  formulate  the  laws  of  the  uni- 
verse—laws whose  continuity  spans  all  stages  of  existence. 

There  must  be  no  mistake  in  the  way  we  approach 
these  facts  or  deal  with  them.  Our  reasoning  must  be  in- 
ductive. We  assume  neither  facts  nor  principles,  and 
formulate  no  philosophy  as  to  the  continuity  of  life  on 
mejre  assumption.  Our  philosophy  is  founded  upon  facts, 
with  a  demonstration  of  the  laws  and  principles  relating 
thereto.  We  are  privileged  to  assume  the  scientific  fact 
of  the  "persistence  of  force."  That  life  is  a  force  is  axio- 
matic, and  hence  it  must  he  continuous  — personal,  indi- 
vidualized and  essentially  human,  as  now.  This  is  a  legit- 
imate deduction  from  our  facts.  It  is  the  only  theory  that 
will  cover  nil  of  the  facts,  and  is,  therefore,  the  most 
scientific,  logical  and  natural.  The  process  must  he  a 
scientific  analysis.  First,  the  rap,— produced  under  cir- 
cumstances that  make  it  a  phenomenon.  This,  followed 
by  others,  varied  in  form,  the  actuality  of  which  is  self- 
evident,  establishes  the  reality  of  the  facts  themselves. 

As  to  the  force  used,  its  quality  and  form,  whence  it 
is  derived;  the  time,  place,  circumstances  and  conditions 
of  our  facts,  forces  the  inference  that  the  real  doers  are  de- 
pendent upon  some  form  of  force  analogous  to  electricity, 
yet  not  electricity.  This  force  cannot  be  insulated  and  con- 
trolled like  electricity.  It  is  attractive  and  repellent,  and 
is  called  magnetism,  for  want  of  a  better  term,  or  because 
\r   is  analogous  to  terrestrial  magnetism. 

Tt  is  an  established  fact  that  the  human  organism 
evolves  a  magnetic  emanation  or  aura  that  radiates  from 
the  body  as  actually  and  more  forcibly  than  from  a  magnet. 
Our  facts  show  that  this  force  is  amenable  to  mental  con- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  239 

trol  only  when  generated,  or  produced  by  vital  chemistry, 
by  the  human  organisms,  1 1 1 < -  Solar  Plexus  and  the  entire 
ganglionic  system. 

The  purpose  of  those  producing  the  phenomena,  ns 
our  facts  show,  are  varied,— according  to  the  quality  and 
character  of  the  producer.  — and  the  character  and  intel- 
lectual development  of  the  medium,  the  great  cosmic  law 
of  affinity  being  a  constant  and  potential  factor. 

These  facts,  all  spiritual  phenomena,  spiritual  exist- 
ence itself,  is  strictly  scientific,  never  supernatural,  simply 
natural— a  fact  in  nature.  On  these  facts  and  on  natural 
law  is  based  the  whole  spiritual  philosophy,  a  philosophy 
that  covers  the  whole  field  of  thought  and  action.  These 
facts  warrant  the  statement  that  progress  in  spirit  life  is 
dependent  upon  progress  in  this  life,  that  the  brotherhood 
of  man  is  a   reality. 

The  phenomena  thus  far  related  appeals  to  the  physical 

-  of  si<_dit.  hearing  and  feeling,  as  well  as  to  reason. 

First.  The  lights  seen  in  Mrs.  Lord's  seances  arc  re- 
markable in  that  they  do  not  emanate  from  any  focus  or 
appear  as  rays  emanating  from  any  center,  nor  to  be  the 
r.  suit  of  combustion.  Seemingly  they  require  surrounding 
darkness  to  be  seen,  whether  electric  or  phosphorescent. 
These  Lights  conic  and  vanish  into  themselves,  like  the  smile 
on  a  countenance;  they  move  slowly  or  rapidly  like  that  of 
a  person  ;  sometimes  like  tiny  electric  sparks  here  and  there. 
and  sometimes  large  as  one's  head.  These  large  phos- 
phorescent lights  sometimes  roll  outwards,  as  from  a  center, 
revealing  a  face  or  a  form,  which  is  nearly  always  recog- 
nized by  the  one  in  front,  or  along  side  of  whom  it  comes. 
Sometimes  two  or  three  lights  appear  at  a  time,  and  stran- 
ger still,  these  Larger  lights,  showing  forms,  are  sometimes 
Been   only   by   those    in    front    of  the   Lights.      These   lights 

I  at   the  will   of  some  invisible   intelligence  ami   are 

Ipable.      They    do    not    move   away,    hut    vanish    at    the 

place  where  seen,  like  the  c\tiri^uishiiiLr  of  any  ordinary 
light.  They  are  not  effulgenl  and  do  not  reflect  upon 
objects   at    a    distance. 


240  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Second.  The  phenomena  appeals  to  the  sense  of  hear- 
ing, unquestionably  by  atmospheric  vibration,  as  all  in 
the  room  and  sometimes  those  outside  of  the  room,  hear  the 
same  thing  from  their  different  angles  of  position.  The 
music  of  the  instruments  is  heard  and  located  by  the  sound 
as  it  is  at  rest  or  is  whirled  around  the  circle  within  a  few 
inches  of  the  heads  of  the  sitters,  without  touching  any  one. 
Voices  of  all  range  and  compass  are  heard,  even  to  whispers, 
sometimes  two,  three  and  more  voices  all  heard  at  the  same 
time  and  from  different  positions  in  the  circle,  precluding 
the  possibility  of  explanation  on  any  other  hypothesis  than 
spirit  voices.  Not  subjectively  as  certain,  quite  logical, 
sophistical  thinkers.'  who  claim  to  know  so  much  "sub- 
jectively" and  so  little  "objectively  and  really."  assert 
when  they  claim  that  the  camera  does  not  record  these 
.faces  and  forms,  and  that  the  phonograph  does  not  record 
the  sounds.  Such  assertions  are  contrary  to  fact  and  the 
known  laws  of  physics. 
7"-  These  "subconscious"  dogmatists,  who  have  had  very 
little,  if  any,  experience  in  psychic  phenomena,  seem  to 
think  they  know  the  most  about  it,  and  proceed  to  evolve 
from  their  subconsciousness  the  assertion  that  the  theory 
of  spirit  return  is  not  tenable  until  facts  are  presented 
that  cannot  be  reconciled  to  any  other  theory  based  upon 
natural  law.  This  is  truly  a  "subconscious"  theory  and 
is  on  a  par  with  many  other  theories  which  they  attempt 
to  prove  by  assuming  certain  facts  that  have  no  reality,  ex- 
cepting in  their  imagination.  There  are  no  psychic  phenom- 
ena that  are  not  produced  in  accordance  with  natural 
laws, — the  same  laws  that  span  the  material  and  spiritual 
worlds. 

Third.  There  can  be  no  imagination  in  the  sense  of 
touch  when,  in  the  dark,  articles  are  placed  instantly  and 
directly  in  hands,  rings  placed  on  fingers  held  up  to 
receive  them,  and  eye-glasses  placed  on  noses,  by  audible 
or  mental  request,  without  any  hesitation  or  any  fumbling 
or  feeling  around:  Avhen  hands  are  felt  in  a  hearty  shake 
and  ofttimes  giving  secret  grips-,  when  flowers  and  other 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  241 

articles,  which  were  positively  known  not  to  be  in  the 
room,  or  in  the  house,  are  brought  and  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  Bitters  and  Left  with  them.  To  doubt  these 
facts  is  to  doubt  all  intelligence. 

These  are  the  logical  deductions  to  be  drawn  from  the 
facts  thus  Far  related,  and  are  substantially  the  same  as 
those  at  which  a  company  of  scientists  arrived  in  a  series 
of  seances  held  by  Mrs.  Lord  in  Boston  in  1873,  reported 
by  Mr.  S.  Pox,  a  newspaper  writer.  The  conditions  under 
which  the  phenomena  were  produced  from  which  Mr.  Fox 
drew  his  conclusions,  as  stated  in  his  report,  were 
as     follows : 

"There  were  twenty-five  people  present;  all  were  seat- 
ed on  chairs  in  a  circle:  all  had  hold  of  hands,  so  that  no 
one  could  enter  the  room  or  the  circle  without  going  over 
our  heads,  and  no  one  in  the  circle  coidd  leave  his  or  her 
place  without  it  being  known  to  at  least  two  others.  Mrs. 
Lord  sat  in  the  center  of  the  circle,  always  in  her  perfectly 
normal  condition.  There  was  no  table,  box,  chest  or  any- 
thing in  the  circle  that  could  be  used  as  an  aid  to  the 
phenomena.  At  Mrs.  Lord's  request,  those  skeptically  in- 
clined examined  the  room  and  saw  that  everything  was  sat- 
isfactory. The  doors  and  windows  were  fastened  and  sealed 
and  the  keys  deposited  in  the  pockets  of  a  skeptical  gentle- 
man. Mrs.  Lord  remarked  that  at  any  time,  if  anyone 
was  suspicious,  they  could  strike  a  light,  or  they  could 
lean  forward  and  hold  her  hands  and  while  so  doing  the 
manifestations  would  continue,  ruder  these  test  condi- 
tions all  these  wonderful  and  varied  manifestations  went 
on   to  the  satisfaction  of  all  present." 

As  an  illustration  of  how  faces  are  shown  in  these 
phosphorescent  Lights,  which  are  not  so  brigh.1  as  the 
smaller,  darting,  electrical  lights,  and  may.  possibly,  he 
intensified  by  emanations  of  the  spirit,  which,  when  operat- 
ing through  Flesh,  Light  up  the  countenance  with  what  is 
called  spiritual  radiance,  sometimes  strong  enough  to  take 
a  photograph  of  an  object,  we  copy  the  following  article, 


242  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

written  for  the  St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat,  in  August,  1899, 
by  a  very  intelligent  gentleman  from  Philadelphia  : 

THF      SUICIDE. 

"During  a  visit  of  a  few  days  in  New  York  City  in 
1882,  I  accompanied  two  friends,  Mr.  and  Miss  B.,  to  a 
seance  being  held  by  Maud  E.  Lord,  then  at  the  height  of 
her  fame.  We  were  all  unbelievers,  absolutely  unknown 
to  the  medium,  especially  I,  then  living  in  the  suburbs  of 
Philadelphia.  The  usual  circle  was  formed  by  joining 
hands  of  all  present,  the  medium  being  seated  in  the  cen- 
ter. The  lights  were  lowered  and  after  several  manifesta- 
tions had  caused  consternation  among  what  we  supposed 
were  gullible  "sensitives,"  a  small  luminous  sphere  sud- 
denly appeared  about  three  feet  in  front  of  me.  Gradually, 
as  if  my  eyes  were  being  focused  without  my  control,  I 
saw  the  object  transform  into  a  small  head  about  the  size 
of  an  orange.  The  face  was  that  of  a  man  with  a  very 
florid  complexion  and  red  side  whiskers.  I  could  see  the 
change  in  his  expression,  even  the  blinking  of  his  eyes,  ex- 
actly as  if  he  were  alive.  He  opened  his  tiny  mouth,  dis- 
tinctly exhibiting  his  teeth  and  tongue,  and  exclaiming,  in 
a  shrill  voice.  'Boys,  whatever  you  do,  for  God's  sake 
don't  commit  suicide!'  Upon  my  questioning  him  he  said 
that  he  had  committed  suicide  in  Central  Park,  New  York. 
I  received  the  most  vivid  impression  of  the  little  specter,  one 
which  1  retain  even  until  this  day. 

"After  my  friends  had  experienced  other  manifesta- 
tions, we  returned  to  their  house,  disappointed,  if  any- 
thing, at  our  inability  to  fathom  the  mysteries  which  we 
had  expected  to  smack  strongly  of  charlatanry.  1  described 
my  experience  with  the  little  head,  and  Miss  B.  asked  me 
if  I  thought  I  could  identify  it  from  a  photograph,  she 
having  apparently  suspected  whom  it  might  be.  I  assured 
her  that  1  could. 

She  produced  a  large  number  of  old  family  photo- 
graphs and  laid  them  before  me.  After  examining  many, 
I    suddenly    recognized    my    grim    visitor,    and    exclaimed. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  243 

'There!  That's  the  one!'  The  Likeness  was  striking, 
beyond  mistake.  Mr.  15.  and  his  sister  looked  at  each  other 
knowingly,  and  then  told  me  thai  the  photograph  was 
that  of  a  near  friend  of  the  family,  who  had  committed 
suicide  in  Central  Park  some  years  before,  a  man  »>!'  whom 
I  had  never  heard.  I  did  not  even  know  that  snch  a  tragedy 
had  ever  occurred  within  their  circle  of  friends.    They  had 

r ignized    the    face   at    once   from    my    description,   but 

neither  did  or  said  anything  which  might  have  led  to  my 
suspecting  which  photograph  in  the  large  collection  was 
the  correct  one.  In  those  days  the  custom  of  wearing 
side  whiskers  was  much  more  common  than  today,  and 
there  were  many  photographs  among  the  number  given 
me  which  mighl  have  roughly  coincided  with  the  impres- 
sion  Which    I    received." 

At  .-mother  seance,  held  in  Boston,  a  gentleman,  writing 
to  the  Argus  and  Patriot,  published  at  Montpelier,  Ver- 
mont, tells  how  Snowdrop,  the  little  Indian  girl,  being 
told  by  a  gentleman  that  he  had  a  paper  of  candy  in  his 
pocket,  found  the  eandy,  took  it  from  the  gentleman's 
pocket  and  put  a  piece  of  it  into  the  mouth  of  each  one 
in  the  circle.  She  did  this  in  a  very  short  space  of  time 
without  making  any  mistakes  or  feeling  about  for  anyone's 
mouth.  To  test  the  matter,  he  made  the  request  that  she 
give  him  more,  and  in  each  instance,  to  use  his  words.  "My 
moustache  was  lifted  daintily  and  the  candy  was  placed 
between  my  lips.  Others  made  the  same  request  and  each 
time  the  request  was  complied  with  without  any  fum- 
bling." At  this  seance  Mrs.  Lord  gave  the  writer  a  ring 
to  wear  before  the  seance  commenced.     To  use  his  words 

a,  "The  ring  was  quietly  and  gently  taken  from  my 
finger  and  placed  on  the  finger  of  William  Lloyd  Gar- 
rison, who  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  these  seances  and  who 

sat  quite  a  distai from  me.     Mr.  Garrison's  gold  bowed 

S] tacles  were  deftly  taken  from  his  nose  and  placed  upon 

my  knee;  then  as  gently  and  as  carefully  as  he  could  have 
doin-  it.  th"v  were  replaced."     It   is  also  noted  that    if  the 


244  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

circle  be  broken  by  anyone  letting  go  of  hands  when  arti- 
cles were  moving  that  they  would  fall  to  the  floor. 

A   SPIRIT   SPEAKS   CHINESE. 

Sir  Charles  J.  Eldridge,  an  American,  knighted  by 
the  French  government,  who  had  spent  some  time  in  the 
interior  of  China,  attended  a  seance  in  1876  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Col.  S.  P.  Kase,  1601  Fifteenth  Street,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.  Over  his  own  signature,  he  gives  his  experi- 
ence as  follows : 

"Mrs.  Lord  turned  to  me  and  said,  'I  see  a  tall  figure 
standing  over  you ;  an  African,  I  think,  he  is  so  dark.  No, 
not  an  African.  His  head  is  closely  shaved  and  he  has 
something  wound  about  it.  It's  a  Chinaman,'  she  sud- 
denly said. 

"This  of  itself  was  very  convincing  to  me,  as  no  one 
present  could  have  known  that  I  ever  had  any  dealings 
with  Chinese.     'Can  you  give  his  name?'  I  asked. 

'  'He  will  give  it  himself,'  was  the  answer,  and  the 
medium  turned  to  some  of  the  others  in  the  circle  and 
commenced  describing  for  them. 

"Within,  perhaps,  two  minutes,  while  she  was  still 
describing  for  the  others,  I  distinctly  heard,  'T  Sin,'  the 
family  name  of  a  Chinese  friend  of  mine,  who  had  passed 
away  some  three  years  previous,  from  a  city  in  the  interior 
of  China.  This  name  was  whispered  in  front  of  me.  I 
immediately  said,  speaking  in  Chinese,  'Is  this  truly  you, 
Shetze?'  Shetze  being  the  name  by  which  I  invariably 
addressed  him,  and  certainly  known  to  no  one  in  America. 

"The  reply  came  instantly,  'Shi  tsui  Shih  wo'  (Truly, 
it  is  I). 

"I  conversed  with  my  Chinese  friend  for  some  little 
time  in  the  peculiar  dialect  of  the  province  of  which  he 
was  a  native.  The  other  members  of  the  seance  were  seem- 
ingly very  much  interested  in  this  peculiar  manifesta- 
tion, and  asked  what  language  Avas  being  spoken. 

"In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  say.  that  while  I  have 
witnessed  what  was  called  spiritual  manifestations  in  China 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  246 

as  well  as  in  Paris.  London  and  New  York,  I  had  never 
heard  or  Been  anything  so  positively  convincing  as  this 
Chinese  identifying  himself  to  me  by  this  Language  in 
his  own  peculiar  dialect,  and  by  his  instant  and  correct 
replies  to  my  questions.  There  was  no  possible  way  to 
account  for  it  other  than  that  he  was  there  with  memory 
perfect." 

This  experience  of  the  Chinese  spirit,  speaking  in  his 
own  language,  soon  became  known  to  Sir  Charles'  Chinese 
friends  in  attendance  upon  the  Centennial  Exposition,  then 
being  held  in  Philadelphia,  and  two  of  them,  wealthy  Man- 
darins, persuaded  him  to  take  them  to  see  the  "Strange 
Lady,"  as  they  called  her. 

They  came  dressed  in  the 'gorgeous  costumes  of  their 
cast:  polite,  cultured  and  scholarly  gentlemen;  only  one 
of  whom  could  understand  and  speak  English.  The  seance 
was  composed  of  prominent  people,  many  of  whom  were 
broughl  there  by  the  President  of  the  Exposition.  Hon.  J. 
S.  Morton.  These  men  were  prominent  in  national  affairs, 
were  scholars  and  thinkers. — elements  conducive  fo  satis- 
factory results  in  a  seance,  bold  thinkers.— honest  men  and 
unselfish  to  the  extent  that  they  offered  every  facility  to 
the  two  Mandarins  to  thoroughly  investigate  the  phenom- 
ena so  new  to  them,  and  yet  in  keeping  with  the  traditions 
of  their  faith  and  with  Chinese  history. 

The  seance  had  no  sooner  commenced  than  a  little 
child  jumped  into  the  lap  of  one  of  the  Mandarins  and 
called  him  papa,  in  Chinese.  Other  of  their  Chinese  friends 
came  ami  talked  to  them  in  their  own  language.  Tin1  Man- 
darin who  sat  next  to  Sir  Charles  asked  him  to  put  his 
hand  on  his  little  boy's  head.  They  accepted  the  manifes- 
tations as  perfectly  natural  and  expressed  no  surprise  that 
their  friends,  buried  so  far  away  across  the  ocean,  should 

come    and    talk    with    them.      These    polite,    foreign    spirits 
thanked   the  American  man  for  bringing  their  friends  to 
the   seance.      All    their   talk   was    in   the    Chinese   LangU 
nhdersto  >d  only  by  the  three  people  in  the  seance.     One 
of  the   Mandarins  later  showed   Sir   Charles  an   account   of 


?4G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

the  seance  written  in  Chinese  to  his  wife  in  China,  deliver- 
ing the  message  sent  by  the  little  son  to  his  mother. 

Later  these  two  Mandarins  attended  two  other  seances 
bringing  their  Chinese  friends  with  them.  The  seance 
being  especially  for  them,  only  two  or  three  Americans 
were  present.  It  is  impossible  to  report  the  sayings  of  the 
spii'its  and  of  the  sitters,  as  everything  was  in  Chinese, 
other  than  to  say  they  seemed  to  receive  longer  communica- 
tions than  usual ;  and  what  they  received  was  very  satis- 
factory, showing  that  people  make  their  own  seances  or 
unmake  them.  These  people— of  the  better  class  of  their 
country — many  of  them  educated  and  refined,  after  their 
kind,  attended  to  see,  learn  and  know,  satisfied  with  what 
came  to  them,  neither  insolent  nor  selfish  in  their  demands, 
— in  fact,  demanding  nothing,  but  were  grateful  for  any- 
thing that  came  to  them  or  to  others  in  the  seance,  thus  by 
nature  or  by  accident  conforming  to  conditions  essential 
for  satisfactory  results.  These  people  became  so  deeply 
interested  that  they  continued  to  attend  Mrs.  Lord's  seances 
ms  long  as  she  remained  in  Philadelphia. 

VALUABLE   FAN   RECOVERED. 

While  stopping  at  Colonel  Kase's,  Mrs.  Lord  attended 
the  exposition  in  company  with  Sir  Charles  Eldredge  and 
Mr.  J.  F.  Kelly,  another  friend,  now  living  in  London, 
England.  She  had  a  very  expensive  fan,  a  souvenir  of 
the  Exposition,  which  had  been  presented  to  her  by  Mr. 
Kelly.  When  ready  to  take  the  carriage  for  Colonel  Kase  's 
home  the  fan  was  missing.  None  of  the  party  could  remem- 
ber where,  or  when  they  had  last  seen  it.  It  was  gone. 
With  much  regret  on  Mrs.  Lord's  part  they  returned  home. 
On  their  arrival,  Mrs.  Kase  greeted  them  with  the  remark, 
"Look  here,  Maud,  something  very  strange  happened  about 
an  hour  ago.  I  was  sitting  in  the  sitting  room  near  the 
open  window,  when  your  fan  came  flying  into  the  window, 
opened  this  way,  and  fell  into  my  lap.  Here  it  is."  The 
gentlemen   were   astonished,    for   they   had   both   handled 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  247 

tin-  f;in  during  the  afternoon  and  knew  it   <li<l  not   come 
home  with  them. 

At  the  reqnesl  of  the  Spanish  Legation,  .Mrs.  Lord 
held  ;i  special  Beance  for  them  and  their  Spanish  friends. 

As  was  expected  the  majority  of  the  spirits  who  came  spoke 
and  sang  tn  their  friends  in  their  own  musical  Language. 
Sometimes  English  was  spoken.     As  was  the  ease  with  the 
Chinese,  these  diplomatic  people  expressed  greal  Batisfac 
tion  with  the  medium,  as  well  as  with  the  seance. 

Dom  Pedro,  then  Emperor  of  Brazil,  attended  one  of 
these  seances  and  received  many  convincing  and  satisfac- 
tory manifestations.  Spirits  whose  heads  had  worn  crowns 
in  this  life  came  to  him.  over  the  same  road,  by  the  same 
law,   thai    the   lowly  of  the   earth   traveled. 

At  this  time  a  Portuguese  delegation  came  and  made 
arrangements  for  a  special  seance  for  themselves  and  their 
friends.     They  had  a  special  interpreter  engaged  for  the 

-ion.  When  the  evening  came  there  was  much  hesita- 
tion in  taking  their  places  in  the  circle.  Finally  the  spokes- 
man for  the  party  told  Mrs.  Lord  that  their  interpreter 
had  not  come.  "Oh,  well."  said  Mrs.  Lord,  "we  will  try 
it  without  him:  when  lie  comes  we  will  admit  him."  This 
was  satisfactory  and  the  seance  commenced.  The  inter- 
preter did  not  come  ami  his  services  were  not  needed.  The 
Portuguese  language  was  as  freely  used  ;is  the  Chinese  and 
Spanish  had  been  in  the  former  seances.  Hands  were  felt. 
faces  and  forms  were  shown  and  various  and  many  were 
the  communications  received.  Articles  were  carried  aboul 
the  circle,  the  guitar  and  music  1><>\  was  played  and  pul 
into  their  hands,  and  on  their  heads. 

At  the  dedication  of  the  main  Centennial  building 
Mrs.  Lord  was  introduced  to  General  Grant,  then  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  Siaies.  This  was  Hie  commencement 
of  an  acquaintance  that  continued  until  his  death.  Later, 
in  lssL  when  the  general  and  his  wife  lived  in  New  York 
City,  she  gave  them  several  private  sittings  when  trouble 
came  to  them  from  financial  reverses.  At  one  ^['  these 
hey  I ioth  told  her  of  spiritual  manifestations  which 


248  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

came  to  them  in  their  own  home  when  they  lived  in  Car- 
ondelet,  Mo.  They  told  her  how  the  spirits  came  to  them 
and  foretold  much  that  transpired  in  after  years.  He  was 
told  that  he  would  be  guarded  and  guided  to  great  achieve- 
ments. Thus  another  great  thinker  dared  to  act  and  think 
on  original  lines.  He  was  never  ashamed  of  his  own  logical 
conclusions,  nor  did  he  hesitate  to  think  and  act  on  his 
own  plans,  unchecked  by  secretaries  of  war  or  popular 
clamor.  None  but  thinkers,  brave  thinkers  at  that,  can 
be  great  and  wrest  victory  out  of  defeat.  Such  men  are 
inspired  and  require  no  eulogy. 

"Their   deeds   crown  history's   pages 
And  time's  great  volume  make." 

-  These  seances  are  not  always  solemn,  serious  occa- 
sions—far from  it.  There  is  always  much  of  the  comic,  the 
ludicrous  and  the  laughable  in  them,  or  they  would  not  be 
natural.  The  manifestations  demonstrate  that  death  does 
not  make  any  sudden  change  in  character  and  disposition, 
hence  the  importance  of  thought  and  its  formulation  into 
acts, — the  material  from  which  character  is  built.  Clar- 
ence, the  manager  of  these  seances,  is  far  from  being  a 
solemn,  serious  character.  As  a  boy  in  school,  and  in  the 
short  span  of  earth  life  granted  to  him,  he  was  full  of 
fun,  quick  at  repartee,  readily  catching  the  comical  with 
the  serious.  It  is  not  surprising  that  some  of  these  seances 
should  give  him  an  opportunity  for  great  sport. 

AN    EXCLUSIVELY    COLORED    SEANCE. 

Mrs.  Lord,  on  leaving  Philadelphia,  visited  Wash- 
ington, where  she  met  and  convinced  many  men  prominent 
in  the  government.  Among  those  whom  she  met  at  this 
time  was  Senator  Bruce,  later  in  the  treasury  department,  a 
colored  gentleman  of  great  ability  and  culture,  who  at- 
tended her  seances  and  was  deeply  interested.  It  was  but 
natural  that  the  colored  people  of  Washington  should  hear 
of  those  wonderful  manifestations  and  desire  to  witness 
them.     The  question  was,   would  she  hold  a  seance  for 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  249 

colored  people.    The  better  class,  the  educated  and  Be- 

quently  the  dominant  class  in  the  South  do  not  have  the 
prejudice  against  colored  people  that  prevails  in  the  North 
and  learning  that  she  was  a  Virginian  by  birth,  with  tin 
grand  old  pride  of  her  native  state  inherent  in  her  nature, 
and  learning  that  she  believed  in  the  universal  brother- 
hood of  man.  no  matter  what  clime  colors  his  skin,  they 
waited  upon  her  to  see  if  they  could  have  an  "exclusive" 
seance.  Her  controls  left  the  decision  to  her,  .as 
they     always     did. 

Which  should  rule,  principle  or  prejudice? 

Is  the  brotherhood  of  man  a  fact  or  a  fancy? 

At  what  particular  shade  does  this  belief  stop.'  How 
far  into  the  spectrum  does  principle  reach? 

Does  wealth,  social  position  or  character  draw  the  line 
of  demarcation  for  God's  workers? 

Are  there  any  signs  in  His  grounds  warning  colored 
people  to  keep  off  the  gra* 

Are  there  any  notices  on  His  great  road  of  progres- 
sion telling  colored  people  to  take  the  next  car? 

White  skins  cover  a  small  fraction  of  God's  immortal 
souls,  and  is  there  any  more  purple  and  gold  under  white 
skins  than  under  all  others  1 

a  whom  have  come  the  terrible  persecution,  the 
horrors  of  the  old  inquisitions,  the  torture  inflicted  upon 
those  who  have  dared  to  think  and  act;  the  crucifixions, 
the  burning  at  the  Stake  1  Were  their  skins  white  or 
black  .'  Are  the  ethics  built  upon  the  continuity  of  life  and 
the  laws  and  conditions  underlying  all  life  worth  havii 
worth  living  1 

Tl olored  people  had  their  seance,  li  was  exclu- 
sive, even  aristocratic,  selected  from  the  capital's  col 
"four  hundred."  They  came  in  fashion,  with  perfumed 
f;ms  ami  flowers.  They  brought  their  peculiarities  with 
them,  and  their  prejudices  also,  just  the  Bame  ;is  other  peo- 
ple. The  evolution  of  man,  of  races,  has  been  along  parallel 
lines,     the  colored  race  is  coming,  has    already    assumed 

much  that  the  white  "four  hundred"  claim  as  exclusively 


^50  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

their  own.  The  sociological  problem  of  the  yellow  people, 
the  Little  brown  man  and  our  black  brother  is  pressing 
for  a  solution.     Are  we  ready  for  it? 

This  exclusively  colored  seance  was  exceedingly  good. 
Spirits  of  their  departed  friends  came,  touched  them, 
spoke,  giving  names  and  relationship ;  showed  lights ; 
played  on  musical  instruments;  but  when  they  showed  their 
full  forms  and  faces  the  excitement  was  intense.  The 
more  excitable  hollowed  and  shouted  in  their  characteristic 
fashion,  much  after  what  is  heard  at  colored  prayer  meet- 
ings in  the  South,  which  must  be  seen  and  heard  to  be 
appreciated. 

When  the  forms  appeared,  there  was  a  scream.  Sev- 
eral screams  all  in  chorus,  and  a  general  scattering  of 
chairs.  The  gas  was  hastily  lighted  and  a  scene  presented 
itself  that  beggars  description.  It  was  a  typical  colored, 
camp-meeting,  revival  scene,  with  all  the  power  turned 
on,  as  devotees  say.  Some  were  on  the  floor,  others  stand- 
ing, and  all  excited.  It  was  the  best  seance  the  medium 
ever  had  so  far  as  phenomena  went,  with  nothing  left  out — 
some  were  praying,  some  shouting,  and  all  scared,  the 
medium  convulsed  and  Clarence  and  his  colored  hosts 
presumably  on  the  run.  It  was  a  great  event  among  Wash- 
ington's  colored    "400." 

RETURNING    TO    BOSTON. 

Mrs.  Lord  returned  to  Boston  from  Philadelphia,  Bal- 
timore and  Washington;  in  each  of  these  cities  she  met 
many  intellectual  people.  While  the  physical  manifes- 
tations predominated,  as  might  be  expected,  the  questions 
asked  by  these  highly  educated,  thinking  people  brought 
out  many  explanations  from  spirits  present  regarding  the 
laws  in  accordance  with  which  the  physical  manifestations 
were  produced,  and  much  concerning  the  advancement  to 
be  made  on  higher  lines  of  thought.  Predictions  were  made 
that  clairvoyance  would  be  scientifically  demonstrated  by 
rays  or  vibrations  not  then  classified ;  that  telegraphy  would 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  261 

be  possible  on  ethereal  waves  and  would  be  perfected  on 
the  lines  of  telepathy;  that  leviation  would  be  explained 
by  the  lines  of  force,  as  shown  by  the  magnet ;  that  material- 
ization would  be  explained  under  the  electro-magnetic  foi 

and  the  polarization  of  matter:  and  that  in  the  Dear  future 
the  vibratory  laws  would  he  better  understood  and  applied 
to  man's  uses.  It  was  claimed  that  the  many  forms  of 
organic  life  dispute  the  monistic  doctrine  of  cosmic  phe- 
nomena and  establish  the  fact  of  force  and  matter  being 
co-evil  and  co-existent,  hut  subject  to  infinite  modifica- 
tion according  to  the  will  and  intelligence  of  the  individual- 
ized force,  and  the  law  of  its  individualization.  It  was 
further  stated  that  prophecy  is  the  result  of  scientific  cal- 
culation, whether  it  he  concerning  the  life,  the  affairs  or 
destiny  of  man.  or  the  manifold  operations  of  nature. 

As  the  thinkers  of  the  race  reach  out  for  these  things 
they  will  come,  some  with  the  present  century,  more  in  the 
twentieth,  and  still  more  in  the  centuries  that  are  to  come. 

OTHER   MEDIUMS  IX  Till:  SEANCE. 

Knowing  something  of  the  importance  of  vital  mag- 
netism in  the  production  of  spiritual  phenomena,  it  is  quite 
natural  to  suppose  that  the  presence  of  other  strong 
mediums  in  he  seance  would  add  to  the  satisfactory 
results.  Such  does  not  seem  to  he  the  case  any  more  than 
satisfactory  results  would  result  if  several  engines  of  dif- 
ferent Stroke,  power  and  speed  were  attached  directly  to 
the  same  line-shaft.  The  control  understanding  this  and 
probably  knowing  why,  may,  in  a  measure,  lie  responsible 

Imp  some  of  the  antagonism   and   jealousies  seen    in   many 

instances  where  mediums  are  imperfectly  developed.  It 
i-.  from  a  strict  analysis  of  the  term,  impossible  for  a  grand- 
ly   developed    lliedillll)    to    he    jealous    of    another.       Tile    exlli- 

bition  of  this  feeling  towards  a  person  is  equivalenl  to 
paying  such  person  m  merited  compliment,  for  it  \%  a  meta- 
physical impossibility  to  he  jealous  of  an  inferior. 

<  >n  Mrs.  Lord's  return  to  Boston  a  seance  was  held 


252  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

at  which  Mr.  Robert  Cooper  and  Mr.  J.  J.  Morse,  the 
eminent  trance  speaker  of  England,  were  invited  guests. 
A  writer  for  a  Boston  paper,  who  was  present  describing 
the  manifestations,  said: 

"I  sat  next  to  Mr.  Morse  and  could  plainly  observe 
the  difference  of  power  in  our  portion  of  the  circle.  On 
the  opposite  side  the  manifestations  were  quite  marked,  and 
consisted  of  the  touch  of  hands,  sound  of  voices  and  the 
movement  and  playing  of  musical  instruments.  Mr.  Morse 
did  not  receive  one  touch.  Mr.  Cooper,  sitting  on  Mr. 
Morse's  right,  received  some  slight  evidence  of  spirit  pres- 
ence. The  writer  who  sat  on  Mr.  Morse 's  left,  could  sense 
the  presence  of  spirits  on  his  left.  From  Mr.  Morse,  as 
a  center,  the  power  was  manifestly  stronger  as  the  dis- 
tance from  this  center  increased,  and  seemed  strongest  at  a 
point  directly  opposite,  where  it  was  exceedingly  marked 
and  satisfactory.  After  moving  several  seats  away  from 
Mr.  Morse,  I  was  the  recipient  of  various  satisfactory 
attentions  from  my  spirit  friends.  A  gentleman  on  my 
left  received  a  communication  on  his  memorandum  book 
from  his  son.  At  his  left,  a  Russian  gentleman  was  con- 
versing with  a  spirit  alternately  in  Russian  and  French; 
to  the  left  of  the  Russian  a  prominent  business  man  was 
talking  with  his  spirit  father,  and  on  my  right  I  could  hear 
a  child's  voice  talking  to  a  lady,  while  to  her  right  was  a 
gentleman  receiving  a  communication  from  a  spirit  pur- 
porting to  be  Prof.  Morse.  During  all  this  time,  while  I 
carefully  noted  these  things,  Mrs.  Lord  was  conversing 
writh  the  people  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  circle  with  her 
back  towards  me.  I  know  that  a  half  dozen  skillful  actors, 
if  acting  as  her  confederates,  could  not  counterfeit  the 
occurrences  of  the  evening. 

' '  To  test  the  matter  and  to  arrive  at  the  cause  of  his  not 
receiving  any  manifestations,  Mr.  Morse,  Mr.  Cooper  and 
two  other  mediums  withdrew  from  the  circle.  Immediately 
the  manifestations  were  very  powerful  and  universal; 
all  in  the  circle  received  very  satisfactory  results.  Mental 
requests  were  obeyed;  the  guitar  was  played  as  it  floated 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFlv  253 

around  the  room  gently  touching  t  In*  heads  of  each  one 
in  the  circle  without  accident  or  mistake  and  continued 
playing  as  it  suddenly  ruse  to  the  ceiling  of  the  room, 
which  was  twelve  i*«'«t  high.  It  was  played  as  it  gently 
touched  the  glass  globes  of  the  chandelier,  sometimes  hitting 
them  with  force  that  would  have  broken  them  if  not  guided 
by  si.iim-  intelligence  who  could  see  in  tin-  dark.  A  pencil 
was  taken  from  a  gentleman's  pocket  and  an  autograph 
affixed  on  his  cuffs,  which  he  recognized." 

With  very  few  exceptions,  the  effect  on  the  manifes- 
tations with  mediums  in  the  circle  is  the  same.  Mrs.  Lord's 
desire  to  be  gracious  and  obliging  to  all  other  mediums 
made  her  use  every  effort  to  see  and  describe  for  all  who 
came. 

Another  explanation  is  given,  however,  that  may  better 
satisfy  investigators.  It  is  that  the  controls  of  the  attend- 
ing mediums  utilize  the  force  in  the  seance  in  the  develop- 
ment of  their  own  mediums.  Mrs.  Lord  often  remarked 
that  where  other  mediums  were  present  the  seance  seemed 
1<>  he  more  for  development  than  for  phenomena,  the 
controls,  like  others,  being  willing  to  appropriate  the  force 
in  the  seance  to  their  own  uses  whether  the  others  receive 
anything  or  not.  Selfishness  is  not  confined  to  one  stage 
of  existence. 

LEOTAI.I,    THE    INDIAN    (ilKL. 

When  Leotah,  or  Snowdrop,  as  she  is  known  to  many, 
first  came  to  Mrs.  Lord,  she  could  nol  speak  a  word  of 
English.  Ber  first  efforts  at  our  language  were  to  pro- 
nounce the  two  words,  "physical  manifestations."  For 
some  time  the  best  she  could  do  was.  "TwisicaJ  testations." 
Today  Bhe  uses  the  English  Language  in  scholarly  perfec- 
tion and  her  vocabulary  will  compare  favorably  with  any 
Vasaar  graduate.  She  is  accomplished,  graceful  in  man- 
ner, Learned  and  wise  in  many  ways,  and  in  many  things. 
Her  progress  seems  to  make  it  unnecessary  to  be  reincar- 
nated for  the  purpose  of  experience  and  progression    she 

was  educated  with  Little  Mamie  Alberta.     She  was  told  to 


254  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

observe  Maude  Alberta  in  fill  her  studies  and  recitations, 
and  to  attend  the  schools  and  lectures  on  her  own  side  life. 
Building'  on  the  narrow  thread  of  spiritual  life  is  harder 
work,  but  results  can  be  greater  as  serious  mistakes  are 
avoided.  Reared  with  the  companionship  of  Leotah,  Maude 
Alberta,  when  a  child,  never  questioned  the  identity  and 
personal  reality  of  her  playmate  and  companion.  As  a 
child,  her  faith  and  confidence  in  the  spirits  was  very 
beautiful. 

On  one  occasion  her  mother  and  nurse  heard  her  at 
play  in  the  hall.  The  sound  indicated  that  she  was  slid- 
ing down  the  stair  railing,  but  what  was  strange,  they  could 
not  hear  her  go  up  the  stairs.  They  both  watched,  and  to 
their  consternation  they  saw  her  slide  up  the  railing  with 
the"  same  ease  and  celerity  as  she  slid  down.  Watching 
their  opportunity  when  she  was  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 
they  called  her  and  asked  how  she  slid  up  the  railing. 

"Why,  mama,  don't  you  see  Snowdrop  is  holding  me 
on  and  pushing  me?" 

There  was  no  more  sliding  up  the  railing,  although 
Maude  Alberta  tried  it,  and  complained  bitterly  to  her 
mother  for  reprimanding  Snowdrop. 

One  afternoon  a  rap  was  heard  on  the  sitting  room 
door  where  Mrs.  Lord,  Miss  Minnie  Tisdale  and  the  nurse, 
Lizzie  Lou,  as  little  Maude  called  her,  sat  doing  some  work. 
"Come  in,"  was  the  response. 

In  walked  Little  Maude  leading  by  the  hand  a  beau- 
tiful, dark  eyed,  dark  haired  brunette,  a  little  taller  and 
probably  two  years  older,  than  herself.  She  was  dressed 
in  white,  with  a  beautiful  sash  around  her  waist,  very 
much  as  Little  Maude  was  dressed. 

The  nurse  was  the  first  to  notice  the  new  comer  and 
said,  "Why,  Maude,  what  little  girl  have  you  there," 
and  at  the  same  time,  she  stepped  towards  the  two  chil- 
dren to  welcome  the  little  stranger  whom  she  had  never 
before  seen. 

This    attracted    Mrs.    Lord's    attention,    who    turned 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE. 

around  just  in  time  to  hear  her  say,  "See,  mama,  I  have 
brought  Borne  company  to  spend  the  day." 

By  this  time  the  nurse  was  quite  close  to  the  children. 
The  beautiful  stranger  seemed  to  change  in  ;i   way  that 

she  could  not  quite  explain,  and  to  her  astonishment  sank 
towards  the  floor  and  disappeared. 

Little  .Maude  turned  reproachfully  upon  the  nurse,  say- 
ing, "There,  now.  Lizzie  Lon,  yon  have  knocked  Snow- 
drop all  to  pieces." 

At  another  time,  when  Mrs.  Lord  was  quite  sick.  Maude 
Alberta  came  into  the  room  leading  Snowdrop  by  the  hand. 
Baying,  "Oh,  mama.  I  have  brought  Snowdrop  to  cure 
ymi."  so  great  was  her  faith  in  her  little  companion. 

In  the  room  at  the  time  was  Dr.  Foy  and  a  medical 
student,  who  was  later  known  in  Sommerville,  Mass. 
Dr.  B.  P.  Galloup.  This  was  a  new  experience  for  these 
disciples  of  Aesculapius.  Here,  again,  her  experiment  was 
a  failure  and  her  little  playmate,  "went  all  to  pieces,"  as 
she  expressed  it,  just  as  the  two  astonished  doctors  turned 
to  speak  to  them,  but  not  until  they  had  both  noted  that 
the  two  children  were  dressed  nearly  alike. 

The  nurse,  "Lizzie  Lon"  Brown,  — later  Mrs.  Richard 
Cassidy,  whose  marriage  was  long  predicted  by  Mrs.  Lord. 
— would  often  be  told  when  Mrs.  Lord  was  coming.  Some- 
times she  would  be  reprimanded,  or  directed  by  spirit  voices 
in  her  care  of  Little  Maude.  The  mother  and  all  who 
knew  about  the  child's  rare  and  beautiful  gifts  saw  she 
had    possibilities   that   would   place   her   name  as  a    psychic 

high  on  fame's  immortal  calendar  unless  some  of  the  cor- 
roding influences  of  modern  civilization  and  society  should 
prevent.  How  strangely  life's  laws  run.  As  we  think  and 
act.   BO   build    we   OUT   own    characters.      All    there    is   of    us 

is  character.  It  is  the  guinea's  stamp  on  the  immortal 
soul.  It  fixes  man's  status  in  this  greal  game  of  life, 
and  marks  his  value  on  the  other  side.  In  the  coin,  current 
of  that  existence,  there  is  no  double  standard.  The  endur- 
ing wealth  we  gather  here  and  take  with  us  is  character. 

Snowdrop    was    always    a    factor   (.f   the    family    circle. 


256  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

At  one  time  a  servant  named  Mary  Kendricks .  conceived 
the  idea  that  she  would  look  well  on  the  streets  in  the 
medium's  dresses,  especially  when  she  knew  Mrs.  Lord 
would  be  absent.  Snowdrop,  although  only  a  child,  did  not 
approve  of  this  practice.  The  girl  was  just  putting  on  a 
certain  plaid  dress  preparatory  to  a  walk,  when  it  sud- 
denly left  her  hands  and  fell  to  the  floor  some  distance 
back  of  her.  She  tried  it  again  and  a  second  time  it  slipped 
out  of  her  hands,  and  a  voice  close  to  her  ear  said,  "Don't 
you  dare  put  on  that  dress.  It  belongs  to  my  medium." 
Mary  told  this  herself  as  she  feared  the  same  voice  might 
tell  Mrs.  Lord. 

While  living  at  No.  26  Chester  Park,  Mrs.  Lord  had 
a  servant  named  Bridget  O'Leary,  whose  family  lived  near 
by.  "Bridget  was  a  believer  that  all  sin  can  very  easily  be 
forgiven,  especially  the  sin  of  taking  from  a  heretic.  One 
evening  as  Bridget  was  about  ready  to  pick  up  her  well 
filled  basket,  the  clothes  pins  in  a  basket  near  by  com- 
menced to  strike  her  in  the  face.  One  by  one  they  came 
flying  at  her  and  then  the  potatoes  did  the  same.  Her 
screams  brought  Mrs.  Lord  to  the  kitchen,  where  she  found 
Bridget  on  her  knees  crossing  herself  and  praying. 

"What  does  all  this  mean,  Bridget?" 

"Oh,  shure.  and  may  the  Holy  Mother  protect  me. 
Thim  pins  and  potatoes  just  got  up  and  hit  me." 

Seeing  and  understanding  the  situation,  Mrs.  Lord  told 
her  it  was  wrong  to  take  things,  and  that  her  spirit  friends 
saw  her  every  time  she  did  it. 

"Faith,  mam,  but  its  moighty  mane  spirits  that  object 
to  me  taking  a  little  tay  and  few  potatoes  to  me  sick 
brother. ' ' 

Bridget  was  still  skeptical  like  many  more  intelligent 
investigators,  who  must  be  convinced  over  and  over  again, 
as  she  continued  to  take  things  home. 

One  evening,  just  after  dark,  she  was  about  to  take 
a  roll  of  butter.  As  she  opened  the  pantry  door  there 
stood  Snowdrop,  dressed  in  white.     Bridget  screamed  and 


y&y  *#**£>.  y  *&* 


i  See  page  260. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  257 

slammed  the  door,  saying,  "Stay  in  there  ye  white  divil." 

just  as  Mrs.  Lord  came  into  the  room. 

Leading  From  the  kitchen  up  into  the  dining  room  was 
a  dumb  waiter.  Whenever  Mrs.  Lord  had  any  cans,  jars, 
or  bottles  she  could  not  open  she  would  put  them  into  the 
waiter,  close  the  door  and  ask-  Clarence  to  please  open  them. 
Bridget,  who  was  consistent  in  her  faith  and  habits,  had 
seen  these  articles  opened,  and  one  day,  being  unable  to 
open  a  jar  of  fruit,  she  placed  it  in  the  waiter,  closed  the 
door  and  repeated  the  talismanic  words,  "Please,  Clar- 
ence, dearie,  open  the  jar." 

Very  soon  she  heard  two  or  three  raps.  She  did  not 
take  the  jar  out  at  once,  but  left  it.  Soon  after  there  came 
three  or  four  loud  raps,  as  if  the  jar  was  being  pounded 
against  the  door  and  then  she  heard  it  drop. 

She  supposed  it  was  her  old  enemy  Snowdrop,  and  re- 
plied. "Thump  away  ye  little  divil,  I  know  yees.  It's  not 
the  staling  of  your  old  paches  that  I'm  after.  Thump  away, 
it's  not  afraid  am  I,  as  long  as  yees  stay  in  there." 

On  looking  into  the  waiter  the  jar  of  fruit  was  found 
opened  and  its  contents  scattered  over  the  waiter.  This 
was  too  much  for  Bridget  and  she  rushed  up  stairs  to 
Mrs.  Lord  and  said  she  could  not  stay  any  longer.  "The 
divils  are  here  everywhere  and  Oim  going  to  lave  sure 
this  very  minute.  Sure,  and  he's  broke  a  jar  of  paches  all 
over  the  dumb  waiter." 

At  one  time  Mrs.  Lord  had  a  servant  named  Alice, 
whom  she  asked  to  go  to  the  kitchen  and  bring  her  the 
teapot  containing  cold  tea,  which  was  setting  on  the  range. 
The  Lrirl  went  as  directed.  It  was  light  enough  for  her 
to  Bee  the  teapot  As  she  reached  for  it,  it  slid  away  from 
her  hand  to  the  other  side  of  the  rangfe  She  went  around 
after  it.  when  it  came  up  directly  under  her  chin.  This  was 
too  much  for  Alice  and  Mrs.  Lord  did  not  get  her  cold  tea. 

VAI-.    snows    ms    POWER. 
Mrs.  Lord  was  taking  break-fast   with  some   friends   in 

Milton.  Mass.     At  the  table  sal  a  gentleman  and  a  lady 

-9 


258  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

school  teacher.  These  two  people,  as  is  sometimes  the  case 
with  very  wise  people,  were  disposed  to  treat  spiritual- 
ism flippantly,  and  in  their  superior  wisdom  relegate  the 
entire  phenomena  to  the  realm  of  fraud  and  trickery.  The 
gentleman  remarked  that  there  was  nothing  in  it.  The 
lady  replied,  saying,  "No  one  can  make  me  believe  it." 
Both  insulting  remarks  in  the  presence  of  the  medium.  The 
words  were  scarcely  uttered  when  both  of  their  chairs 
slipped  out  from  under  them.  They  both  rolled  over  on 
the  floor,  and  were  as  suddenly  rolled  under  the  table  at 
the  medium's  feet.  If  there  was  "nothing  in  it,"  some- 
thing, at  least,  moved  them. 

SNOWDROP    (LEOTAH)    ATTENDS  SCHOOL. 

When  Maude  Alberta  was  about  thirteen  she  was  sent 
to  Tilden  Seminary  at  West  Lebanon,  N.  H.  She  was 
at  once  a  great  favorite  and  all  of  her  companions  were 
anxious  to  be  in  her  room.  Snowdrop  was  her  constant  at- 
tendant and  was  very  much  in  evidence.  The  following  is 
one  of  the  many  letters  she  wrote  to  her  mother  at  that 
time: 

Tilden  Seminary,  West  Lebanon,  N.  H. 
My  Dearest  Mama: 

Your  dear  letter  was  received.  I  am  always  delighted 
to  hear  from  you.  Snowdrop  came  again  last  night  and 
rapped  on  the  chair  by  the  bed ;  she  answered  lots  of  ques- 
tions.   I  think  she  is  too  sweet  for  anything. 

You  wanted  me  to  tell  you  about  Saturday  night.  Snow- 
drop commenced  to  rap  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing. Gertrude  and  I  were  awake  and  both  of  us  saw  forms 
and  lights.  Snowdrop  rapped  on  the  mantle,  the  clock, 
the  table,  the  looking  glass,  the  lamp  shade  and  on  the 
curtains.  The  forms  we  saw  looked  as  if  they  were  float- 
ing, but  we  could  not  distinguish  any  features.  We  asked 
Snowdrop,  "If  she  had  brought  some  of  the  spirits  with 
her,"  and  she  gave  a  great  loud  rap  on  the  mantle.  I  think 
that  was  real  sweet,  don't  you? 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  L'59 

Anyway.  Snowdrop  belongs  partly  to  me.  She  said 
she  did.  Gertrude  has  fallen  in  love  with  her,  and  talks 
about  her  all  the  time,  and  I  am  beginning  to  feel  jealous. 
I  wish  Clarence  would  come,  but  perhaps  he  is  afraid  of 
so  many  girls. 

I  must  stop  now.  Lots  and  lots  of  love  to  you  and 
to  Gladys  and  all  the  rest. 

Au  revoir,  Maude. 

April  30th,  1885. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

MADAM    BLAVATSKY'S    GREAT    ADMIRATION    FOR    THE    MEDIUM. 

At  the  time  Madam  Blavatsky  lived  in  New  York,  she 
was  always  delighted  to  have  Mrs.  Lord  call  and  was  always 
pleased  with  the  phenomena,  as  were  others  of  her  followers. 
It  was  the  custom  of  the  madam  to  take  a  leaf  out  of  the 
center  of  an  extension  table  and  darken  it  underneath  by 
hanging  curtains  and  drapery  around  the  edges  and  have 
her  spirit  friends  talk  to  her  and  show  their  hands  and 
faces  through  the  opening  made  in  the  table.     She  would 
place  paper,  pencils  and  slate  under  the  table  and  receive 
messages  written  in  the  various  languages  with  which  she 
was  familiar.     The  medium  admired  the  madam  for  her 
great  intellect,  her  marvelous  powers  and  force  of  character, 
but  not  for  her  religious  ethics.     She  was  an  occasional 
visitor  in  the  madam's  parlors.     She  was     usually     ac- 
companied by  Sir  Charles  Elclridge  and  Mr.  Ivins,  a  prom- 
inent business  man  of  New  York  and  one  of  the  madam's 
followers.     She    was    the    thirty-third    member    of    the 
madam's  New  York  society.     Her  work  was  along  more 
logical     and     demonstrable  lines,  and,  while  teaching  the 
higher,  basic  principles  of  theosophy,  she  could  not  accept 
many  of  its  assumptions  not  susceptible  of  scientific  de- 
monstration.    She  therefore  never  became  an  active  mem- 
ber of  the  society.       In  parting  with  her  the  madam  pre- 
sented her  with  a  photograph  endorsed  in  her  own  writing. 
The  madam  was  intellectually  a  great  woman.     She 
had  at  this  time  been  known  in  New  York  two  or  three 
years,  and  with  Col.  H.  S.  Olcott,  formed  what  was  known 
as  a  Theosophical  Society  for  the  Study  of  Arian  Litera- 
ture.    It  was  a  society  of  queer  thinkers — queer  to  those 
who  differed  with  them  and  to  those  who  knew  nothing 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  261 

about  them.  Her  rooms  wore  known  as  "The  Lamasery," 
named  after  tin'  sacred  colleges  of  Thibet,  where  Acolytes 
are  instructed  in  the  mysteries  and  rites  of  Thibetan  The- 
ology. Here  on  certain  nights  could  be  met  business  men, 
merchants,  physicians,  Lawyers,  Roman  Catholic  Priests, 
actresses,  artists,  titled  people  and  occasionally  a  Mongol- 
ian—all intellectually  brilliant— all  original  thinkers,  ready 
to  take  issue  with  any  established  method  or  form  of 
thought.  Here  could  be  met  the  Princess  Helene  Von 
Racowitz,  or  Linda  Dietz,  the  actress;  Wong  Chin  Foo,  a 
space  writer  on  a  Chicago  paper  and  Baron  de  Palma,  both 
as  bizarre  as  the  madam's  oriental  furniture;  Major  Gen- 
eral Doubleday,  afterwards  president  of  the  society;  and 
William  Q.  Judge ;  lawyers,  judges,  professional  men,  and 
many  of  New  York's  best  citizens,  as  well  as  strangers  from 
all  over  the  world;  all  attracted  by  the  madam's  weird 
teachings,  by  her  intellectual  rebellion  against  all  natural 
law  and  usages  of  society.  Nothing  that  science  or  religion 
accepted  as  axiomatic  met  with  her  approval.  She  could 
express  her  denunciations  in  a  half  dozen  different  lan- 
guages and  never  failed  to  do  so  when  occasion  required. 
She  was  a  born  leader  and  her  place  will  never  be  filled. 
With  all  her  eccentricities  she  had  her  noble  side  and 
despised  little  things.  Many  of  her  followers  were  equally 
as  interesting,  but  were  less  known.  It  was  the  new  sensa- 
tions and  new  thoughts  to  be  had  in  discussions,  by  those 
who  assembled  at  her  rooms,  that  filled  them  with  all 
-es. 

ALWAYS   DOING   THE   ANGEL 'S   BIDDIXd. 

No  conventionalities  prevented  the  medium  from  doing 
the  work  of  the  spirits;  no  time  or  place  or  surroundings 
deterred  her  guides  in  their  great  work.  No  public  medium 
ever  has  or  could  do  this  work  with  less  opposition.  She 
was  always  kind,  gentle  and  considerate  for  the  feelings  of 
others.  Her  gracious,  positive  and  convincing  • 
from  the  spirit  side  of  life  were  almost  invariably  well  re- 
ceived and  acted  upon,  thus  checking  many  on  their  blind 


2G2  .  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

road  to  destruction.  By  the  aid  of  wise  controls  she  placed 
their  feet  back  again  upon  the  great  road  of  infinite 
progression. 

Going  from  New  York  to  Chicago  she  saw  a  man  sitting 
by  himself.  Near  him  was  the  spirit  of  a  woman  evi- 
dently in  great  distress.  The  spirit,  seeing  that  she  was 
observed,  came  to  the  medium  and  told  the  story  of  her 
daughter's  betrayal  by  this  man,  who  was  now  running 
away  from  his  victim.  Mrs.  Lord  walked  over  to  the 
man  and  thus  addressed  him:  "Sir, 'you  must  go  back 
to  New  York  and  marry  Henrietta." 

He  started  with  guilty  surprise,  and  said:  "What  do 
you  know  about  me?" 

"I  will  tell  you  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "The  girl  ia 
better  than  you.  She  is  true  and  honest  to  you,  and  you 
are  running  away  from  her.  Go  back,  go  back  and  marry 
her.  You  must  do  it.  Be  a  man  and  not  a  coward ;  she  is 
better  than  you  are.  Her  spirit  mother  stands  by  your  side 
and  bids  me  tell  this  to  you. ' ' 

He  knew  it  was  all  true,  coming  as  it  did  from  a  well 
dressed  and  intelligent  stranger,  who  could  have  no  other 
motive  than  to  make  him  right  a  wrong.  He  listened  and 
heeded  the  mother's  prayer  and  the  voice  of  conscience. 
He  did  as  he  was  directed  and  later  settled  in  Lockport, 
New  York. 

VAL    GUARDS    THE    DOOR. 

At  another  time,  when  going  over  the  same  road,  she 
saw  a  young  girl  sitting  with  a  man  some  years  older. 
Over  the  girl  stood  a  spirit  in  great  trouble.  She  was  made, 
to  feel  that  it  was  the  girl's  mother,  and  the  fact  was 
whispered  to  her  that  this  man  had  coaxed  the  girl  away 
from  her  home  in  Indiana,  where  she  had  a  father  and  two 
brothers. 

She  talked  to  the  man,  whose  name  was  Sullivan,  a 
Catholic,  who  did  not  believe  in  spirit  return.  He  defied 
her  and  the  spirits.  She  got  others  on  the  train  to  talk  to 
him.  All  to  no  purpose.  The  train  stopped  at  a  station  and 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  861 

she  induced  the  girl  to  come  <>ut  on  the  platform  for  a  walk. 
They  went  into  the  ladies'  waiting  room,  which  was  unoc- 
cupied. Her  intention  was  to  keep  the  girl  there  until 
the  train  pulled  out  and  then  send  her  bach  home  on  the 
next  train.  Sullivan  was  not  thus  to  be  outwitted.  Just 
before  the  train  was  ready  t<>  start  he  appeared  at  the  door 
of  the  waiting  room  and  told  the  girl  to  come.  Mrs.  Lord 
told  him  she  should  not  go.  "With  an  oath  he  attempted  to 
enter  the  room  and  was  thrown  suddenly  backward  to  the 
floor.  Surprised  and  astonished  he  quickly  regained  his 
feet  and  rushed  towards  the  door.  Again  he  was  hurled 
backward  to  the  floor  with  great  violence.  He  could  not 
see  any  one  in  the  door  or  in  the  room,  excepting  Mrs. 
Lord  and  the  girl  who  stood  several  feet  inside  the  door. 
Mrs.  Lord,  however,  saw  her  Spanish  guide,  Yal.  stand- 
ing in  the  doorway,  and  knew  the  girl  was  as  safe  as  if 
in  her  own  home  back  in  Indiana.  The  man  picked 
himself  up.  but  very  wisely  kept  a  safe  distance  from  the 
door  and  said  :  ' '  That  is  the  work  of  some  of  your  devilish 
spirits." 

"No,  not  devilish,  but  guardian  angels,  and  you  cannot 
cross  that  threshold  and  live.     Don't  try  it  again." 

All  this  transpired  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it. 
He  left  the  room  just  in  time  to  catch  the  last  car  of  the 
fast  moving  train,  while  Mrs.  Lord  purchased  a  return 
ticket  for  the  girl,  telegraphed  her  old  father,  put  her  in 
charge  of  the  conductor,  and  then  continued  her  journey 
to  New  York  on  the  next  train.  Later  Mrs.  Lord  received  a 
very  grateful  letter  from  the  girl's  old  father. 

CATHOLICS   AND   SPIRITUALIST   OFFICIATE   AT   A   FUNERAL. 

Mrs.  Lord  was  called  to  officiate  at  the  funeral  of 
little   Boll    Hamilton,   in    Boston.     Qeorge    Hamilton,   the 

father,  had  three  children,  Charlie,  Lillie  and  Bell.  1 1  is 
wife  was  dead.  His  father  and  mother  were  urood  and 
consistent  Catholics.  George  was  very  liberal  and  had 
given  Bell  permission  to  attend  the  spiritual  lyceum.     The 


2G4  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

little  girl  was  suddenly  taken  with  the  diphtheria  a  few 
days  before  going  to  the  lyceum.  She  told  her  father  and 
the  other  two  older  children  that  she  was  going  to  die,  as  she 
felt  mama  had  come  after  her.  She  furthermore  said  she 
wanted  Mrs.  Lord  to  preach  her  funeral  sermon. 

The  mother  did  come  for  her,  and  when  Mr.  Hamilton 
asked  Mrs.  Lord  to  officiate  at  the  funeral,  she  said: 
"Your  father  and  mother  are  such  good  Catholics,  they 
will  not  be  satisfied  unless  the  priest  officiates."  "Oh 
well,"  he  said,  "we  are  going  to  have  him  also,  and  you 
can  officiate  first. ' ' 

Mrs.  Lord  had  just  arisen  to  commence  the  services 
when  the  priest  came  in  and  took  a  seat.  While  Mrs. 
Lord  was  standing  near  the  little  casket  speaking,  the 
father  and  the  two  children,  who  sat  on  the  right,  heard 
a  voice  back  of  them  saying:  "Don't  feel  badly,  I  am 
here  with  you."  They  and  several  others  recognized 
little  Bell's  voice.  Raps  came  on  the  walls  of  the  room 
and  on  the  coffin,  with  no  visible  person  touching  it. 
A  bouquet  was  lifted  up  and  put  into  Bell's  little  hand  in 
plain  sight  of  the  priest  and  all  present. 

At  the  close  of  Mrs.  Lord's  remarks,  the  priest,  who 
had  been  a  very  attentive  and  interested  listener,  never 
missing  a  word  and  noting  all  the  manifestations,  arose  and 
said:  "My  dear  friends,  I  supposed  when  I  came  here 
that  I  was  coming  into  a  home  of  sorrow,  but  I  find  it  a 
place  of  seeming  rejoicing  and  of  great  gladness  in  the 
knowledge  of  immortality.  Many  of  our  faith  believe  in 
these  things,  and  some  of  us  know  that  they  are  true." 
He  made  a  few  remarks  and  closed  with  a  blessing  upon  all 
present. 

A  SPIRIT  ASKS  TO  HAVE  HIS  WILL  CORRECTED. 

Returning  home  from  the  seance  in  South  Boston  late 
one  evening,  in  company  with  Dr.  B.  F.  Galloupe,  Mrs. 
Lord  stepped  into  a  restaurant  on  Tremont  street  for  sup- 
per. After  they  were  seated  a  gentleman  came  in  and  took 
a  seat  about  ten  feet  distant.     Taking  several  papers  from 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  2G5 

his  pocket  he  was  soon  deeply  interested  in  them.  Just 
before  they  finished  eating,  they  noticed  the  gentleman 

hurriedly  Looking  about  the  table,  under  it  and  under  his 
chair  as  though  he  had  lost  something.  Mrs.  Lord  just 
then  fell  a  paper  thrust  into  her  lap.  She  handed  it  to 
Dr.  Galloupe,  saying,  '"What  is  this,  and  how  did  it  come 
here.'"  He  looked  at  it  and  saw  that  it  was  a  will,  ex- 
ecuted  in  England.  Seeing  the  gentleman  still  excited 
over  something,  tin-  doctor  addressed  him,  saying,  "Have 
yon  lost  anything 

He  instantly  replied  that  he  had  received  some  papers 
from  London  just  as  he  was  closing  his  office  for  the  day 
and  had  not  had  the  time  to  look  at  them  until  now.  "The 
most  important  of  all  the  papers  was  my  father's  will, 
which  1  had  in  my  hands  not  five  minutes  ago.  I  just 
finished  leading  it  and  laid  it  right  there  on  the  table 
and  now  1  cannot  find  it,  and  am  necessarily  a  little  ex- 
cited." 

"Is  this  your  paper?"  said  the  doctor,  as  he  held  up 
the  paper.  The  gentleman  walked  over  to  the  table,  took 
the  paper,  looked  at  it  and  exclaimed,  "Yes,  but  how  did 
you  gel  it  I  You  have  not  been  near  me  since  I  came  in, 
and  no  one  has  been  near  my  table  since  I  had  it  in  my 
hand.     This  beats  anything  I  ever  heard  of." 

The  doctor  explained  Mrs.  Lord's  gift,  and,  in  reply 
the  gentleman  said  he  had  never  taken  any  stock  in  such 
things  and  thought  it  was  all  humbug.  The  doctor  told 
him  there  might  be  some  purpose  in  what  was  done. 

"Possibly,"  he  replied,  "if  there  is,  I  would  certainly 
like  to  know  what  it  can  be.  You  two  do  not  look  as  though 
you  have  any  motive  in  taking  the  paper  from  my  table, 
ami    I  know  yon  did  not  do  it." 

Later,  the  gentleman  attended  a  seance,  when  his 
father  came  and  told  him  that,  seeing  he  could  get  the 
power  to  take  the  paper  to  the  medium,  he  did  so  in  order 
to  get  into  communication  with  him,  as  there  was  a  mis- 
take in  the  will  which  he  Wanted  him  to  correct.  lie  told 
him  the  correction  he  wanted  made,  and  the  gentleman 


266  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

did  as  requested.    At  last  accounts  the  gentleman  was  still 
living  in  Boston. 

CLARENCE  CONDUCTS  A  SEANCE  WITHOUT  THE  MEDIUM. 

At  a  seance  held  at  the  home  of  those  most  excellent 
people,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George  Adams,  in  Worcester,  Mass., 
was  Dr.  Kelly  and  his  family,  all  Catholics.  Mrs.  Lord  had 
just  come  from  the  West  and  her  guitar  had  been  forgotten 
and  left  in  her  trunk  up  stairs.  Clarence  asked  for  it, 
and  Miss  Susie  Adams,  the  daughter,  offered  to  go  after  it. 
Mrs.  Lord  said,  "No,  we  will  get  along  without  it,"  as  she 
did  not  think  she  could  get  into  the  trunk.  Clarence 
told  the  medium  to  go  and  he  would  try  to  conduct  the 
seance  until  she  returned,  provided  those  present  would 
comply  with  all  the  conditions,  and  all  think  and  act  in 
perfect  harmony.  This  the  skeptics  readily  promised. 
Clarence  took  the  medium's  place  in  the  center  of  the 
circle,  and  called  upon  Jesse,  Kaolah  and  Snowdrop  to 
assist.  The  manifestation  continued,  with  Clarence  de- 
scribing in  place  of  the  medium,  much  to  the  delight  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Adams  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  of  the 
skeptics.  After  a  short  time  Clarence  requested  them  to 
call  the  medium. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

MRS.  LORD'S  MYSTERIOUS  DISAPPEARANCE. 

The  spiritualists  of  the  United  States  were  greatly 
excited  over  the  sudden  and  mysterious  disappearance  of 
Mrs.  Aland  B.  Lord,  in  May,  1879.  The  newspapers  of 
Boston  and  New  York  contained  full  accounts  and  descrip- 
tions of  her.  The  detectives  of  both  cities  were  following 
every  possible  clue  in  the  hope  of  earning  the  $500  reward 
offered  for  any  information  of  her  whereabouts. 

The  story  of  her  disappearance  on  the  first  day  of  May 
is  thus  told  by  a  New  York  paper: 

A    MISSING  MEDIUM. 

TIIK    REMARKABLE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    MAID    E.    LORD,    AND 
WHAT    IS    SAID    AND    DONE    ABOUT    IT. 

During  the  Last  two  weeks,  spiritualistic  communities 
in  New  Y<»rk  and  elsewhere  haw  been  much  exercised  over 
the  mysterious  disappearance  of  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord,  the 
medium,  she  was  possessed  of  considerable  personal 
attractions  and  a  disposition  which  fascinated  those  with 
whom  she  came  in  contact.  As  a  result,  she  enjoyed  the 
friendly  regard  of  many  people  of  high  standing  and  was 
looked  upon  with  respect  by  those  who  seek  to  solve  the 
mysteries  of  the  other  world.  As  a  medium,  she  was  sup- 
posed to  be  gifted  with  exceptional  powers,  and  her 
•.(.inces  were  attended  by  the  more  cultured  and  refined 
believers  in  manifestations  from  the  spirit  laud.  Sud- 
denly, however,  and  mysteriously,  Mrs.  Lord  disappeared 
from  the  face  of  the  earth.  Whether  an  ethereal  compan- 
ion bore  her  off  upon  a  phantom  steed,  or  a  spectre  she 
had    invoked   did   her   bodily   harm,   yet    remains   to   be 


268  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

learned;  but  certain  it  is  that  in  the  streets  of  Boston, 
on  the  first  day  of  May,  1879,  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord  was 
lost  sight  of.  Detectives  have  been  seeking  to  sift  the 
mystery  in  this  city  during  the  past  week,  as  they  had 
done  before  in  Boston,  but  all  without  avail,  and  at  pres- 
ent the  lady's  fate  seems  completely  involved.  Outside 
of  the  attention  the  case  has  excited,  owing  to  the  lady's 
public  character  and  her  prominence  as  a  medium,  there 
are  undoubtedly  circumstances  connected  with  it  which 
tend  to  make  it  one  of  the  most  remarkable  disappearances 
that  have  occurred  in  years. 

THE    DISAPPEARANCE. 

On  the  1st  of  May,  Mrs.  Lord  left  her  house  at  No. 
27  Milford  Street,  Boston,  to  meet  a  gentleman  at  the 
Old  Colony  Railroad  depot,  with  whom  she  intended  going 
to  Brockton,  where  a  test  seance  was  proposed  that  even- 
ing. That  was  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  she 
was  anxious  to  catch  the  five  o'clock  train.  Half  an  hour 
after  leaving  the  house  she  was  seen  on  Washington  Street, 
near  the  corner  of  Pleasant,  and  apparently  bound  for 
the  depot.  She  passed  the  person  who  recognized  her, 
glanced  at  her  watch  and  hurried  on.  But  since  that 
she  has  not  been  seen  or  heard  from.  The  gentleman  who 
awaited  her  at  the  depot  went  to  her  house  when  she  failed 
to  appear,  and  made  inquiries  there,  only  to  learn  that  she  , 
had  left  long  before.  A  despatch  was  sent  to  Brock- 
ton, but  she  had  not  reached  that  place;  and  later  another 
to  New  York,  but  her  friends  here  were  in  ignorance  of 
her  whereabouts.  The  hospitals  and  public  institutions 
were  visited ;  the  police  notified,  but  all  without  throwing 
any  light  upon  the  matter.  Then  the  south  end  of  Boston, 
where  the  lady  resided,  was  thrown  into  a  high  state  of 
excitement;  every  theory  that  might  account  for  her 
absence  was  followed  up ;  every  nook  or  corner  in  which 
she  might  be  abiding  was  visited;  every  acquaintance  who 
might  hear  of  her  was  consulted.     Not  the  slightest  clew 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  269 

to  her  disappearance  could  be  obtained.  In  this  dilemma 
a  motive  for  her  being  made  away  with  was  sought.  She 
had  upon  her  person,  it  was  learned,  at  the  time  of  her 
disappearance.  $700  in  money  and  $500  worth  of  jewelry, 
but  being  a  woman  of  business  habits  and  much  practical 
good  sense,  she  had  concealed  the  money  and  let  no  one 
know-  of  her  carrying  it.  Some  time  since  she  had  depos- 
ited some  money  in  a  Boston  bank,  which  she  lost  when 
it  failed,  and  that  made  her  lose  confidence  in  all  such 
monetary  institutions,  and  keep  her  money  about  her.  The 
apparent  improbability  of  a  thief  attempting  a  robbery 
on  a  public  street,  at  a  time  when  it  is  most  crowded,  and 
then  putting  his  victim  out  of  the  way,  turned  investiga- 
tion into  another  quarter,  and  the  past  life  and  ante- 
cedents of  Mrs.  Lord  were  scanned  with  the  purpose  of 
finding  in  them  a  clew  to  her  disappearance. 

HER     HISTORY. 

She  was  born,  it  was  learned,  in  Marion  County, 
Va.  When  quite  young  she  was  married  to  Albert  A. 
Lord,  of  Fondulac,  Wis.  They  had  one  child,  a  daughter, 
who  is  now  seven  years  of  age,  and  is  a  remarkably  bright 
and  talented  little  girl,  and  she,  it  is  said,  was  the  only 
bond  that  kept  them  together  during  a  great  part  of  their 
wedded  life,  as  their  relations  were  of  a  very  unhappy 
nature.  In  April.  L875,  Mrs.  Lord  secured  a  divorce,  and 
has  since  been  giving  Beances  throughout  the  country  with 
great  success,  Albert  A.  Lord. was  living  in  Boston  at 
the  time  of  the  lady's  disappearance,  and  he  at  first  was 
suspected  of  having  something  t<>  do  with  it.  But  inquiry 
showed  that  he  was  otherwise  occupied  than  in  plotting 
his  wife's  destruction.    The  Lady's  friends,  who  are  much 

excited    about    her   fate,    have    now   extended    the   circuit   of 

their  search,  and  of  late  a  couple  of  shrewd  detectives 

have  been  at  work  in  this  city  BJftlTlg  every  tittle  of  evi- 
dence that  can  bear  on  the  missing  medium.  Mis.  Lord 
was  a  woman  of  remarkable  personal  attractions  and  Bince 


270  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

her  public  appearances  not  a  few  of  the  male  members 
of  her  audiences  have  become  completely  enamored.  So 
investigation  has  now  taken  the  shape  of  a  search  for  a 
man  with  a  motive.  How  it  will  terminate,  or  what 
romance  the  detectives'  tact  may  unveil,  the  future  only 
can  decide. 

The  disappearance  of  so  prominent  a  medium  in  a 
manner  so  strange  has,  of  course,  agitated  the  spiritual- 
istic world  more  or  less.  The  more  cultured  and  intelli- 
gent believers,  of  course,  see  in  it  only  the  result  of  acci- 
dent, or  of  some  high-handed  outrage,  perpetrated  by 
whom,  or  for  what,  they  cannot  divine.  A  few  people, 
with  a  keen  relish  for  the  mysterious,  hint  that  some  of 
the*  foes  of  spiritualism,  alarmed  at  its  rapid  spread  and 
at  the  success  of  such  mediums  as  Mrs.  Lord,  have  car- 
ried her  off.  The  objects  of  their  suspicion  they  do  not 
clearly  indicate,  but  it  is  easy  to  see  that  they  have  orth- 
odox Bostonians  and  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation in  their  mind's  eye.  This  theory  received  con- 
firmation from  a  male  believer,  whose  revelations,  how- 
ever, are  received  with  much  skepticism,  even  by  spiritual-, 
ists.  He  claims  that  it  has  been  intimated  to  him,  by 
authorities  of  an  authentic  but  purely  spiritual  nature, 
that  Mrs.  Lord  was  surprised  and  carried  off  by  three 
masked  men,  which,  as  it  happened  in  daylight,  is  a  sad 
reflection  on  the  vigilance  of  the  Boston  police.  There 
are  mediums  in  that  city  who  say  Mrs.  Lord  is  not  dead, 
but  is  in  the  power  of  somebody,  and  others  here  who 
claim  that  since  her  disappearance  the  spirits  have  become 
intractable  and  refuse  to  declare  themselves.  The  excite- 
ment expressed  by  inquirers  into  her  fate  is  so  great,  it 
is  said,  as  to  prevent  the  conditions  necessary  for  com- 
munication ■  with  the  spirit  world,  and  that  is  why  the 
oracles  are  dumb  as  to  what  has  become  of  Maud  E.  Lord. 


•  She  was  absent  just  five  weeks,  and  her  reappearance 
in  Boston  was  as  mysterious  as  her  disappearance.  On 
her  return  no  explanation  was  given,  nor  has  any  ever  been 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  271 

given.  While  such  explanation  was  due,  by  reason  of  her 
prominence,  her  month  was  sealed  by  subsequenl  events 
against  which  Bhe  was  powerless  to  contend.  Possibly  even 
her  unusually  powerful  controls  could  not  avert  this 
tragedy  in  her  life,  although,  as  in  many  others  thai  were 
crowded  into  her  experience,  they  were  able  to  mitigate 
th<-  consequences.  There  are  times  when  the  most  expert 
are  not  able  to  grasp  and  manipulate  the  infinite  forces 
of  nature  to  their  liking,  because  of  stronger  vibrations 
from  superior  intelligence,  or  those  greater  forces  that 
govern  constellations. 

Mrs.  Lord  had  made  preparations  to  go  to  Brockton. 
Mass..  for  a  visit  of  several  days,  and  from  there  was  going 
to  Chicago.  She  was  therefore  well  provided  with  money 
and  personal  baggage  for  a  journey.  Just  before  starting 
a  stranger  called  at  the  house  and  told  her  a  lady  who 
was  very  sick,  stopping  at  the  hotel  on  Washington  street 
near  the  bridge,  wanted  to  see  her.  She  said  she  was  just 
about  starting  to  leave  the  city  and  could  not  go.  The 
stranger  was  very  urgent  and  finally  she  said  she  would 
stop  and  see  her  on  her  way  to  the  depot.  lie  gave  her  in- 
structions to  come  into  the  hotel  and  go  up  the  stairs  and 
turn  to  such  a  numbered  room.  He  told  her  not  to  rap, 
but  to  go  directly  into  the  room,  as  there  might  not  be 
any  attendant  in  waiting,  as  the  lady  was  very  poor. 
This  appeal  to  her  sympathies  was  sufficient.  Intent  on 
charitable  mission  she  did  not  notice  the  strangeness  of 
the  directions,  nor  the  forbidding  surroundings  as  she 
entered  the  building  and  proceeded  to  the  designated 
room.     She  did  not-note  the  absence  of  attendants  about  the 

place. 

Where  were  her  invisible  guardians  1  Where  the  warn- 
ing voices  1  She  saw  the  "Dark  Hand"  point  directly  to 
her.  Surely  it  could  have  nothing  to  do  with  this  visit  to 
the  sick  room.  This  was  probably  one  of  the  things  that 
was  to  be, — if  not  this,  something  else, — this  evil  influence 
could  not  be  entirely  cheeked. 

As  she  entered  the  darkened  room  she  could  not  see 


272  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

anything.  She  was  conscious  of  being  struck  on  the  head 
with  something  solid,  but  soft.  A  second  blow  made  her 
unconscious.  She  remembered  no  more,  excepting  for  an 
instant  of  being  jolted  over  cobble  stone  pavements  in  a 
carriage,  until  she  found  herself  in  bed  in  a  little  room. 
From  the  motion  she  knew  she  was  at  sea.  The  stewardess 
soon  came,  and  she  learned  that  she  was  on  board  the  steam- 
er, "State  of  Georgia,"  Captain  Cooper,  bound  for  Glas- 
gow. The  Stewardess  explained  that  her  friends  were  left, 
—had  missed  the  steamer.  She  then  left  her,  and  return- 
ing later  gave  her  her  ticket  and  told  her  a  strange  story: 
How  she  had  been  brought  on  board,  her  friends  support- 
ing her  from  the  carriage,  she  half  walking,  and  all  the 
time  protesting.  The  lady  and  gentleman  told  her  that 
she  was  partially  insane  and  the  doctors  had  advised  a  sea 
voyage.  After  fixing  her  comfortably  in  her  stateroom 
and  giving  the  stewardess  her  ticket,  on  which  was  the 
name  of  Miss  E.  M.  Murray,  they  went  ashore  to  purchase 
some  fruit  and  did  not  get  back  in  time. 

The  harbor  pilots  had  then  left  the  vessel  and  they 
were  out  at  sea.  What  could  it  mean  ?  Why  should  anyone 
want  to  send  her  out  of  the  country1?  What  would  her 
friends  think?  None  of  her  money  or  jewelry  was  miss- 
ing. Her  hand  baggage,  with  two  or  three  changes,  was 
there  all  right. 

There  was  only  one  person,  and  that  person  a  woman, 
whom  she  could  think  of  as  having  any  motive  for  such 
a  dastardly  act.  This  woman  was  infatuated  with  a  man 
no  better  than  herself,  only  more  cowardly.  He  was 
determined  that  Mrs.  Lord  should  marry  him.  This  woman 
had  repeatedly  threatened  her  life  and  had  made  one 
attempt  to  carry  out  the  threat.  Her  control  had  warned 
her  to  be  on  her  guard  against  this  woman,  but  being  fear- 
less of  all  consequences,  she  did  not  heed  their  warning. 

This  man  was  Thomas  Mitchell,  a  handsome  fellow, 
thirty-two  years  old,  and  from  a  fine  English  family  living 
in  Canada.     Mrs.  Lord  had  refused  to  marry  him,   and 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  273 

this  refusal  made  him  desperate.     The  woman  lived  near 

Mrs.   Lord,   not    far  from    Milford   Street. 

Clarence,  her  control,  told  her  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  to  go  i^i  to  Glasgow  and  run  up  to  London  and 
take  the  first  steamer  returning. 

For  several  days  she  kept  her  stateroom  and  when  she 
went  on  deck  she  kept  aloof  from  the  others.  It  was  her 
first  ocean  trip,  and  when  she  could  forgel  the  little  daugh- 
ter she  fairly  reveled  in  the  grand  swell  of  the  ocean.  Its 
roll  was  like  the  restless  tides  of  her  own  emotion.  It  was 
a  very  stormy  and  tempestuous   voyage.     They   were  out 

oteen  days. 

She  soon  attracted  the  attention  of  the  other  passen- 
some  of  whom  told  her  they  knew  she  must  have 
some  great  sorrow.  They  all  sought  to  be  of  some  service 
to  her.  She  kept  her  own  counsel  and  told  them  she  was 
traveling  for  health  and  recreation.  They  encountered  a 
storm  which  Captain  Cooper  said  was  the  worst  he  had 
known  in  twenty-five  years,  and  the  first  time  he  had  ever 
been  Beasick.  He  was  surprised  that  Mrs.  Lord,— or  Miss 
Murry.  as  she  was  registered,— was  not  seasick. 

The  storm  was  her  delight  and  she  begged  the  captain 
to  permit  her  to  remain  on  deck.  This  wild  tempest  found 
responsive  echo  in  her  troubled  life.  The  captain  insisted 
on  her  going  below  where  the  other  passengers  were,  some 
praying,  some  singing  and  all  thoroughly  frightened.  He 
told  her  the  vessel  was  liable  to  go  down  at  any  time.  She 
assured  him  that  it  would  not,  and  kept  her  place  within 
sight  of  him  during  that  awful  night. 

"There's  a  wideness  in  God's  mercy, 

Like  the  wideness  of  the  sea; 
There's  a  kindness  in  His  justice, 

That  is  more  than  liberty." 

They  finally  landed  at  Cdasgow.  She  went  up  to 
London  and  stopped  at  the  Imperial  Hotel  on  Holborn 
Viaduct.  Before  Leaving  the  steamer,  and  for  the  purpose 
of  showing  her  friends  and  spiritualists  at  large,  the  truth 


274 


PSYCHIC     LIGHT 


of  her  story  when  she  returned  to  Boston,  she  asked  Captain 
Cooper  for  the  names  of  the  passengers.  He  gave  her  the 
following  incomplete  passengers'  list: 

THE  STATE  STEAMSHIP  COMPANY— Limited. 
S.  S.  State  of  Georgia.  Voy.  Sailed,  May  2,  1879. 


J.  H.  Simmons 
Hugh  Fraser 
Miss  Fullerton 
Rev.  J.  S.  Oakley 
P.  A.  Langembeek 
Mrs.  Morrison 
Mrs.  Blaylock 
Mr.   Sylvester 
Mrs.  McBurnie 
Peter  Smith 
Mary  Hare 
Jane  Hetherington 
J.  V.  Allen 
Miss  Simmons 
Mrs.  Fraser 
George  Wursh 
Fred  Attneave 
Miss  Ghittledale 
Miss  E.  M.  Murray 


NAMES. 

Mrs.  Sylvester 
Miss  McBurnie 
J.  H.  Witherspoon 
J.  R.  Gordon 
Sarah  E.  Hetherington 
S.  D.  Allen 
Mrs.  Brent  Goad 
Geo.  H.  Carse 
Mrs.  Peter  Smith 
James  Spruce 
Miss  N.  Ghittledale 
John  Blaylock 
Margh  Downie 
Robt.  McBurnie 
Mary  E.  Davis 
William  Fulton 
Mrs.  Gordon 
Emily  Paole 
Ed  Gare 


Peter  Downie 

Arriving  in  London  she  found  that  the  next  steamer 
for  America  would  sail  in  three  days.  Here  was  more  delay 
to  her  anxious  soul,  separated  from  her  daughter.  It  was 
most  unusual  for  American  women  to  be  traveling  alone 
in  London  and  she  was  conscious  of  being  watched  with 
some  suspicion.  On  the  second  day  the  servant  gave  her 
an  insulting  note  signed  by  the  day  clerk.  There  was  a 
bold  directness  of  purpose  in  all  she  did  and,  being  abso- 
lutely without  fear,  she  asked  the  servant  who  was  the 
writer,  and  being  told  that  he  was  at  the  desk  ir.  the  office, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  275 

she  took  the  open  Letter  and  wenl  to  the  little  window  and 
asked  tlir  dapper  Looking  little  fellow  if  that  was  his  name 
Bigned  to  t lie  note.  Be  put  his  head  through  the  little 
window  so  as  to  speak  low  and  said.  "Ah.  yes;  I  believe 
I  had  the  honor." 

A>  quick  as  a  flash  both  hand  and  Letter  came  against 
his  cheek  with  a  noise  that  sounded  through  the  room. 
""Take  that,  you  puppy'  1  am  an  American  woman  and 
can   protect    myself." 

This  incident  was  noticed  by  the  proprietor  of-  the 
hotel  and  a  friend  of  his.  the  Marquis  Eugene  de  Beau- 
harnais.  a  relative  of  the  Empress  Josephine. 

This  incident  convulsed  the  two  gentlemen  and  fixed 
their  estimate  of  her.  Marquis  Beauharnais  was  an  Amer- 
ican and  claimed  to  have  been  in  the  Confederate  service 
under  the  name  of  Chamberlain  during  the  Civil  war.  He 
had  noticed  Mrs.  Lord  in  the  public  parlor  of  the  hotel 
and  had  spoken  to  the  landlord  about  her.  and  asked  him 

ive  her  every  attention. 

General  Beauharnais  later  met  Mrs.  Lord  in  Boston, 
Chicago  and  San  Francisco.  At  this  latter  place  he  died. 
While  at  Chicago  he  wrote  the  following  letter,  giving  his 
account  of  meeting  her  in  London : 

Tremont  House,  Chicago,  Nov.  15,  1894. 
In  the  year  1*79.  and  in  the  month  of  May  that  year, 
I  was  in  London.  England,  and  stopping  at  the  Imperial 
Hotel,  on  the  Holborn  Viaduct.  One  evening,  about  the 
middle  of  the  month,  as  T  walked  into  the  dining  room.  I 
saw  a  Lady  Bitting  at  a  small  table  alone.     She  seemed  sad 

and  troubled.    I  at  once  saw  by  her  style,  appearance  and 
ch  that  she  was  an  American  lady,  and  From  the  South, 
traveling  alone. 

I  called  the  head  waiter  to  me  and  enquired  if  he  knew 
who  she  was;  he  replied,  "She  is  a  stranger  and  alone."  I 
requested  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel  to  give  her  every 
attention,  ami  to  see  that  she  had  every  comfort  ami  protec- 
tion, as  she  was  a  lady  from  my  own  country.    After  din- 


276  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ner  this  lady,  like  other  guests,  went  to  the  general  recep- 
tion room.  I  had  gone  into  that  room  a  little  before  she 
came  in.  She  took  a  seat  not  far  from  me.  Following  her 
there  came  to  this  reception  room  two  gentlemen,  a  lawyer 
and  a  clergyman,  who  had  been  dining  together  at  a  table 
near  me.  As  they  came  into  the  room  they  were  continuing 
the  subject  of  their  conversation,  of  which  I  had  heard 
part,  as  they  were  dining.  The  subject  was  spiritualism; 
the  clergyman  was  defending  it  and  the  lawyer  was  ridicul- 
ing it.  This  lady  seemed  interested.  The  expression  of 
her  face  and  eyes  seemed  brightened,  and  the  sad  expres- 
sion seemed  gone.  She  said  to  me,  "Do  you  Englishmen 
talk  openly  in  this  manner  of  the  subject  of  spirit  return?" 
I  replied  that,  "I  had  found  the  Englishmen  to  be  quite 
open  to  discuss  and  investigate  any  and  all  subjects,  no 
matter  what  the  nature  might  be,  but,  madam,  I  am  not 
an  Englishman.  I  am  an  American,  from  the  South,  and 
I  take  you  to  be  one  of  my  country  women;  can  I  be  of 
service  to  you?"  She  thanked  me,  saying  she  was  travel- 
ing abroad  for  recreation.  During  the  next  three  or  four 
days  we  met  in  the  public  reception  room  and  parlors  sev- 
eral times.  I  had  arranged  for  her  to  go  to  a  spiritual 
seance  at  the  house  of  a  private  family,  but  the  very  even- 
ing of  the  seance  as  I  arrived  at  .the  hotel  for  dinner,  I 
was  informed  by  the  manager  that  the  lady  had  suddenly 
left,  she  gave  me  her  name  as  Mrs.  M.  E.  Murray. 

In  the  autumn  of  1883,  I  was  in  Boston,  Mass.,  and  I 
was  invited  to  go  to  a  seance  where  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord 
was  the  medium.  On  entering  the  hall  of  this  house  I 
saw  the  very  lady  I  had  seen  in  London;  she  recognized 
me  instantly.  After  the  seance  she  explained  to  me  the 
cause  of  her  trip  to  Europe.  While  she  was  in  London, 
I  saw  more  of  her  than  any  other  American,  and  I  do 
affirm  that  her  conduct  and  daily  life  was  pure  and  free 
from  reproach  as  was  the  pure  life  and  conduct  of  my 
angel  mother.  Faithfully, 

Eugene  De  Beauharnais. 


CONTL\UITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  277 

Mrs.  Lord  returned  on  the  steamer,  "State  of  Penn- 
sylvania." She  landed  in  Now  York  and  took  the  first 
train  for  Boston.  She  telegraphed  her  arrival  in  New 
York  and  her  friends  were  ready  to  receive  her.  Miss 
Minnie  Tisdale  (Mr.  Lord's  cousin),  had  taken  Mande 
Alberta  home  with  her  to  await  news  of  the  missing  mother. 
At  the  depot  in  Boston  to  meet  her,  with  a  carriage,  was 
the  infatuated  Mitchell,  who  took  her  to  her  child.  That 
evening,  when  opportunity  presented,  when  no  others 
were  present,  he  Locked  the  door  and  putting  the  key  in 
his  pocket,  demanded  that  she  promise  to  marry  him  or 
he  would  kill  her  and  himself.  The  terrible  strain  of  five 
weeks  and  the  thought  of  her  child  and  she  locked  into 
a  room  with  a  desperate  and  distracted  coward,  — what 
could  she  do? 

Here  again  fate  seemed  to  hold  back  the  protect  i  1 1  g 
hands  of  her  invisible  attendants.  They  were  married  that 
same  evening  and  her  mouth  was  sealed  in  regard  to  her 
disappearance.  She  would  not  smirch  the  name  of  the 
man  she  had  married.  His  one  and  only  redeeming  quality 
was  that  he  idolized  her  and  the  child.  His  jealousy  knew 
no  limits,  nor  had  he  any  sense  at  such  times.  He  could 
not  bear  to  have  her  give  any  time  to  the  public.  Selfish, 
as  ,ill  cowards  are.  ami  cowardly  as  all  selfish  people  are, 
he  did  not,  want  her  to  look  at  any  one  or  speak  to  any 
one  hut  himself.  On  one  occasion  he  had  his  revolver  in 
his  hand  and  had  threatened  to  kill  her,  when  the  revolver 
was  suddenly  slipped  from  his  hand  by  some  invisible 
force  and  he  could  not  find  it.  look  as  he  would,  lie  and 
ami  she  were  alone  in  the  room  ami  she  was  several  feet 
distant  from  him.     A  few  days  later,  when  they  were  again 

alone,  he  being  some  few  feet  from  her,  the  revolver  was 
laid  on  the  table  at  his  side,  — with  all  the  chambers  empty, 
— coming  from  somewhere  out  of  space. 

Even  these  exhibitions  of  power  did  not  change  his 

actions.     In  a  few  months  she  was  obliged  to  gel   ;i  divorce, 

which  she  did  while  in  Chicago  six  months  Later,— making 

no  claim  for  alimony,  although  he  was  quite  wealthy.     Thus 


278  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ended  another  tragedy  in  her  eventful  life.  She  resumed 
the  name  of  Lord. 

Many  spiritualists  never  heard  of  this  chapter  in 
her  life  and  will  read  it  here  for  the  first  time. 

Leaving  Boston,  Mrs.  Mitchell  went  to  Chicago,  where 
her  friends  were  delighted  to  see  her,  and  especially  were 
they  pleased  when  she  applied  for  and  received  her  divorce 
and  came  back  into  the  ranks  of  spiritual  workers.  Her 
field  of  labor  was  again  extended.  This  time  to  the  West 
and  out  into  Colorado,  which  at  this  time  was  attracting 
people  from  all  parts  of  the  world  on  account  of  its  inex- 
haustible silver  mines. 

SPIRITS   BRJNG    WATER    FROM    A   WELL. 

She  arrived  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  in  September,  and 
stopped  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  M.  Davis,  1113  Center  street 
where  she  held  six  seances.  At  one  of  these  a  singular  mani- 
festation occurred.  A  relative  of  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
was  present,  also  a  banker  of  much  note.  This  banker 
would,  in  this  day,  be  called  a  Napoleon  of  finance,  as  he  is 
the  only  one  who  ever  undertook  to  purchase  a  Chicago 
bank  with  the  bank's  own  money  and  credit  and  succeeded 
in  doing  it. 

During  the  seance,  some  one  expressed  a  desire  for  a 
drink,  when  a  glass  of  water  was  placed  to  their  lips.  Oth- 
ers, a  little  skeptical,  made  the  same  request  when  a  tin 
dipper  was  given  them.  Mrs.  Davis  instantly  remarked 
that  the  dipper,  the  only  one  on  the  place,  was  out  at  the 
well  in  the  yard,  where  she  and  several  of  the  ladies  had 
left  it  just  before  taking  their  seats  in  the  seance. 

A  VISIT  TO  THE  FASHIONABLE  SET. 

On  one  of  Mrs.  Lord's  visits  to  Quincy,  Illinois,  the 
fashionable  people  sought  to  entertain  her  at  an  afternoon 
tea.  These  were  the  people  who,  when  she  was  young  and 
unknown,  made  use  of  her  gifts  and  then  sent  her  home, 
alone  and  unattended,  and  told  her  not  to  speak  to  them 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  279 

in  public,  for  fear  it  would  injure  their  social  standing  if 
it  was  known  they  were  interested  in  spiritualism. 

The  law  of  cause  and  effect,  the  thought  set  in  motion 
years  before,  the  acts  toward  a  poorly  dressed  and  humili- 
ated child,  were  working  out  their  legitimate  results.  Her 
controls  had  taught  her  to  be  true  to  her  own  convictioi  8. 
She  accordingly  took  a  carriage  and  drove  to  this  fash- 
ionable "afternoon  tea."  Tiny  greeted  her.  not  at  the 
back  door,  as  they  did  in  those  earlier  days  before  she  had 
made  spiritualism  popular.  She  had  doI  forgotten  the  time 
when  she  needed  a  kind  word,  when  a  smile  or  a  friendly 
act  would  have  been  like  a  glimpse  of  celestial  sun- 
light across  her  path.  These  people  with  short  memories 
wen-  now  very  gracious  to  the  popular  medium.  Sh.  was 
asked  to  lay  aside  her  wraps. 

"No,"  she  replied,  "I  cannot  accept  your  hospitality. 
I  came  in  response  to  your  invitation,  but  for  a  different 
purpose.  Years  ago,  when  I  was  a  poor  girl  traduced  by 
the  clergy,  poorly  clad  and  seemingly  without  a  friend, 
when  one  kind  word  would  have  been  a  priceless  treasure 
to  my  desolate  sonl.  you  sought  the  use  of  my  gifts  and 
sent  me  from  your  back  doors  late  at  night,  unattended, 
weary  unto  death  and  often  hungry.  Your  sons  and  hus- 
bands were  too  good  to  be  seen  with  the  poor  child  whom 
you  now  wish  to  honor.  You,  yourselves,  complacently 
told  me  not  to  know  you  if  we  met  on  the  streets  for  fear 
of  injuring  your  social   position. 

"No,  1  cannot  break  bread  with  you  with  the  memory 
of  your  cruel,  heartless,  selfish  acts  fresh  in  my  mind.  I 
come  from  a  proud  race  and  a  proud  state,— too  proud  to 
lie  a  hypocrite— and  thank  God,  proud  enough  to  lend  a 
helpintr  hand  and  speak  kindly  to  the  unfortunate,  the 
ignorant  and  erring.  1  bear  you  no  ill  will,  but  I  cannot 
stop  with  you.  I  am  thankful  for  the  poverty  and  abuse 
that  came  to  me  in  my  youth,  in  that  it  has  taught  me  to 
read  the  hearts  and  purposes  of  professed  friends." 


280  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

THE   FRANCISCAN   BROTHERS   AND    THE   ORPHAN. 

On  another  occasion,  when  Mrs.  Lord  was  in  Quincy, 
an  incident  took  place  that  greatly  disturbed  that  city 
and  caused  great  comment  all  over  the  country.  As  the 
story  runs,  Mrs.  Barrock,  Mrs.  Lord's  mother,  had  an 
orphan  girl,  employed  as  a  servant,  by  the  name  of  "Aggie" 
or  "Mary  Agnes  McDonald."  One  day  when  Mrs.  Lord 
was  in  the  kitchen  the  girl  came  in  and  asked  Mrs.  Bar- 
rock  if  she  could  go  to  confession.  Mrs.  Lord  turned  to 
the  girl  and  at  once  sensed  her  condition,  as  she  did  every- 
one with  whom  she  came  in  contact,  and  said  to  her, 
"Aggie,  why  do  you  go  there?  If  you  continue  to  do  as 
you  have  been  doing  I  see  you  with  a  baby  in  your  arms 
and  "the  priest  the  father  of  it. ' ' 

At  this  the  girl  commenced  to  cry  and  left  the  room. 
Mrs.  Barrock  turned  and  said,  "There,  you  have  done  it 
now.     She  will  think  I  told  you." 

' '  Told  what,  mother  ?    What  do  you  mean  ? ' ' 

"Told  you  about  the  priest — the  Franciscan  brothers  at 
the  college." 

The  girl  had  told  Mrs.  Barrock  how  she  had  been 
ruined,  not  by  one,  but  by  several  of  the  priests.  The  news- 
papers heard  of  the  affair  and  all  sent  their  reporters  to 
interview  the  girl,  Mrs.  Lord  and  the  priests.  Many  columns 
concerning  the  affair  were  printed  in  the  local  papers,  by 
the  Chicago  Times  and  the  St.  Louis  papers.  The  girl's 
story  was  told  to  Mrs.  Lord  and  repeated  in  the  presence 
of  the  reporters.  One  of  the  reporters,  General  S.,  after- 
wards engaged  in  the  insurance  business  in  Rock  Island, 
Illinois. 

The  lawyer  for  the  priests  tried  to  intimidate  Mrs. 
Lord  into  contradicting  the  girl's  story.  They  lodged 
the  girl  with  a  Catholic  family  until  she  committed  sui- 
cide as  she  was  advised  to  do. 

Three  of  the  priests,  headed  by  a  large  number  of 
people,  called  upon  Mrs.  Lord  and  demanded  that  she  sign 
a  paper,  which  they  had  prepared  denying  the  girl's  story. 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  281 

Mrs.  Lord  met  them  at  the  door,  listened  to  the  priests' 
demand,  read  the  paper  and  tore  it  in  pieces  and  told 
them  to  go,  Baying  that  she  had  nothing  to  do  with  the 

girl  or  her  story;  th.it  the  girl  had  voluntarily  told  her 
wrongs  for  which,  if  trne,  she  hoped  all  who  had  had  any- 
thing to  do  with  it  might  be  visited  with  as  many  curses  as 
there  were  hairs  in  the  head  of  the  poor  orphan  girl. 
Neither  lawyer  nor  priest  could  intimidate  her  in  the  Least. 
The  poor  orphan  died  from  arsenical  poison. 

When  the  coroner's  incpiest  was  called  it  was  found 
the  important  part  of  the  body  had  been  removed,  and  all 
action  was  suspended.  This  removal  was  not  done  by  the 
Catholics  or  at  the  instigation  of  the  priests,  but  by  a 
prominent  doctor,  an  old  resident  of  Quincy,  who,  more 
than  twenty  years  later,  made  the  remark  to  the  compiler 
of  these  facts  that  it  was  done  to  prevent  a  religious  war 
in  the  place  and  to  prevent  the  incensed  people  from  burn- 
ing down  the  college. 

A  local  paper  stated  that  Mrs.  Lord  found  it  con- 
venient to  leave  the  city  about  this  time.  Hearing  of  this, 
she  returned  to  the  city  and  compelled  the  editor  to  retract 
and  to  publish  that  she  would  remain  in  the  city  for  sev- 
eral days,  if  anyone  wished  to  see  her.  Some  of  the  priests 
were  sent  to  California  and  the  excitement  gradually  sub- 
Bided.  One  of  these  priests,  on  a  visit  East,  twenty  years 
after  being  sent  from  Quincy.  rode  from  California  to 
Kansas  City  in  the  same  car  with  Mrs.  Lord  and  was  very 
much  interested  in  her  conversation.  Little  did  he  dream 
slie  was  the  innocent  cause  of  his  being  transferred  from 
the  college.     Tims  do  life  lines  cross  and  recross. 

CLARENCE  SUPPLIES  EXPENSE   HONEY. 

On  Mrs.  Lord's  first  visit  to  Council  Bluffs,  she  found 

heltelf  without  money  sufficient  to  pay  her  hills.     She  had 

taken  her  youngesl  brother,  to  whom  she  was  very  much 

attached,  with  her.     She  expected  to  meet  a  party  to  whom 

sli«-  had  loaned  considerable  money.    She  was  greatly  dis- 
appointed by  not  receiving  the  money  and  being  on  her 


282  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

way  to  Denver,  Colorado,  did  not  know  what  to  do.  On 
opening  her  pocket-book  to  pay  a  small  bill  she  was  greatly 
surprised  to  find  two  new  twenty  dollar  bills.  She  knew 
she  did  not  have  them  and  she  never  knew  where  thej' 
came  from.  Clarence  said  they  were  not  stolen,  but  cam'.* 
from  his  bank.  At  this  place,  she  met  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Childs, 
at  whose  home  she  held  several  very  satisfactory  seances. 

VISITS   COLORADO   MINING   CAMP. 

The  law  of  evolution  is  as  true  and  unerring  in  ethics 
as  in  nature.  The  philosophy  of  spiritualism,  founded 
upon  facts,  was  preparing  the  way  for  a  more  intelligent 
and  tolerant  examination  of  its  claims  for  public  approval 
and  .acceptance.  As  an  exponent  of  the  facts,  and  as  a 
scientific  teacher  of  its  philosophy,  she  could  not  long 
remain  in  one  place,  nor  exclusively  in  the  ranks  of  physical 
mediums.  Her  controls  called  her  to  the  platform,  where 
she  was  destined  to  do  even  a  greater  work. 

After  a  short  stay  in  Denver  she  went  to  Leadville 
and  the  mountain  mining  camps,  where  she  proved  herself 
a  generous  almoner  of  spiritual  bounties. 

CLARENCE     PREDICTS     PRESIDENT     GARFIELD  's     ASSASSINATION 
AND  DEATH. 

At  one  of  the  first  seances  held  in  Leadville,  which  was 
attended  by  men  quite  prominent  in  the  Republican  party, 
the  control  was  asked  if  Garfield  would  be  able  to  har- 
monize the  two  factions  in  the  Republican  party,  then 
quarreling  over  the  disposition  of  the  patronage  in  New 
York  state.  Clarence,  whose  predilections  were  Republican, 
while  the  control  Jesse,  his  elder  brother,  was  more  of  a 
Democrat  or  socialist,  answered  by  saying  that  the  disagree- 
ment would  become  a  matter  of  great  public  interest  and 
that  it  would  result  in  Garfield's  assassination  and  later 
his  death. 

The  result  of  the  disagreement  was  that  both  senators 
from  New  York  state,  Senators  Conkling  and  Piatt  resigned 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  283 

and  on  July  2nd,  1881,  Garfield  was  mortally  wounded  by 
Charles  J.  Guiteau,  who.  after  a  long  and  tedious  trial, 
was  Benteneed  and  hung.  The  Presidenl  was  taken  to 
Long  Branch,  where  all  that   human  skill  could  do  was 

done  to  save  his  life.  September  19th.— eleven  long  anxious 
weeks  later.— he  died,  and  General  Arthur,  Senator  Conk- 
lin's  friend,  and  the  compromise  Candidate  for  Vice 
President  became  President. 

General  Arthur  was  a  spiritualist,  and  in  company 
with  his  sister,  Mrs.  McElroy,  frequently  attended  Mrs. 
Lord's  seances. 

Those  who  knew  about  the  prediction  made  by  the 
controls,  and  were  greatly  interested  in  President  Gar- 
field's recovery,  visited  the  seance  many  times,  when  the 
reports  indicated  that  the  President  might  recover,  and 
asked  the  control  if  he  would  not  live. 

Clarence's  reply  was,  "No,  not  as  we  see  it.  I  am 
connected  with  a  very  wise  physician,  Dr.  Peter  DeHaven, 
who.  with  other  specialists  and  wise  spirits,  has  made  sev- 
eral examinations  of  the  patient  and  they  tell  me  he  will 
pass  to  our  side  on  September  19th."     Such  was  the  case. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Collins  Eaton,  an  old  time  spiritualist 
of  Chicago  and  a  friend  and  great  admirer  of  the  medium, 
was  predicted  as  to  time  and  manner.  In  his  last  days. 
financial  success  did  not  attend  him  and  he  was  somewhat 
distressed  over  the  thought  that  he  might  be  a  burden  to 
some  of  his  friends.  "No,"  said  Mrs.  Drake,  with  whose 
family  he  was  then  stopping,  "you  will  have  enough  to 
eat  and  a  place  to  sleep  as  long  as  you  remain.  When  you 
go,  you  will  go  suddenly,  without  any  sickness  or  warning. 
and  before  very  long."  She  then  saw  the  gray  shadow 
very  close  to  him. 

In  leaving  Chicago,  she  placed  a  sum  of  money  in  his 
hands  and  bade  him  good  bye.  A  short  time  after  this, 
while  seated  in  his  room  eating  his  lunch,  he  was  called 
to  help  lift  a  trunk  in  an  adjoining  room.  "While  doing 
this  the  summons  came.  Without  sickness,  without  pain 
or  warning,  just  as  he  had  wished  to  go,  with  a  few  dollars 


284  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

still  left  in  his  pocket,  fully  verifying  in  every  detail  the 
prediction,  he  passed  over  to  face  life's  record. 

He  has  visited  the  medium  several  times  since,  and 
although  a  spiritualist,  trying  to  live  up  to  its  teachings, 
and  an  extreme  Socinian,  he  has  told  her  that  he  had  many 
things  for  which  he  was  obliged  to  answer,  many  things  to 
learn  and  accept  which  he  had  rejected  especially  the  divin- 
ity of  Christ  and  the  divinity  of  all  souls. 

J1MMIE,  THE  BOOT  BLACK— A  BEAUTIFUL  SERVICE. 

Too  poor  for  the  clergy  to  officiate  at  his  funeral, 
"Little  Jimmie,  the  boot  black,"  of  Leadville,  was  a  royal 
soul,  albeit  no  clergyman  or  priest  could  be  found  in  that 
great  mining  town  to  say  a  few  words  over  his  mortal 
remains.  It  was  Mrs.  Lord's  first  visit  to  that  city.  She 
had  given  her  time,  strength  and  money  to  call  fallen 
women  back  to  light  and  moral  life  in  that  wicked  city, 
and  her  hand  was  always  raised  to  stay  the  steps  of  men 
and  boys  from  the  downward  way.  Her  philosophy  was 
based  upon  the  great  brotherhood  of  the  race.  Her  religion 
knew  no  rich,  no  poor,  no  great,  no  small.  An  immortal 
soul,  an  expression  of  deity,  if  not  a  part  of  deity  itself, 
had  passed  out  of  its  mortal  home.  There  was  no  money  to 
pay  for  carriages,  hearse  and  liveried  servants  of  the  Lord. 
Yet  this  same  little  lad  had  never  failed  to  assist  the  neigh- 
bors, and  to  bring  his  scant  earnings  home  to  the  family. 
The  father  and  some  of  the  poor  neighbors  had  heard  of 
Mrs.  Lord  and  her  work  and  came  to  see  if  she  would  offi- 
ciate. Gladly  would  she  do  so.  She  hired  a  carriage  and 
drove  to  the  house.  After  the  most  beautiful  services  ever 
listened  to  in  Leadville,  she  took  the  father  and  family 
in  her  carriage  to  the  grave. 

It  became  known  in  the  city  that  she  was  officiating, 
and  when  the  two  lone  carriages  arrived  at  the  grave,  a 
hundred  or  more  citizens  had  assembled  there.  During  the 
services,  in  the  home  of  this  poor  Arkansas  family,  over  the 
poorly  dressed  body,  in  the  cheap  coffin,  a  little  neighbor 
girl  came  in  and  very  timidly  laid  a  tiny  bouquet  of  three 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  285 

or  four  flowers  on  the  table,  about  eight  feet  from  the  plain, 
cheap  casket. 

She  alone  of  all  who  gathered  there  was  prompted  to 
bring  a  floral  offering  to  that  house  of  sorrow.  And  while 
no  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  that  city  deigned  to  go  to  that 
lowly  home,  or  to  offer  a  word  of  consolation  to  those 
bruised  hearts,  yet  the  inscrutable  power  of  tin.'  spirit  world 
was  there,  manifest  to  every  beholder. 

These  three  little,  fragile  mountain  flowers,  in  full 
view  of  all  those  present,  were  lifted  by  invisible  fingers 
through  the.  invariable  laws  of  spiritual  science  and  placed 
in  little  Jimmie's  hand. 

During  Mrs.  Lord's  remarks,  Jimmie's  mother  posi- 
tively asserted  that  she  felt  little  arms  about  her  neck  and 
a  cheek  pressed  to  her  own  ;is  was  Jimmie's  habit  when 
mama  was  in  trouble.  Raps  were  heard  on  the  coffin,  on 
the  table  and  about  the  room. 

Ber  work  in  Leadville  was  first  among  the  poor  and 
the  unfortunate,  who  are  usually  found  in  a  great  mining 
camp.  She  co-operated  with  aU'reform  movements,  assist- 
ing the  poor  with  the  money  she  earned  by  the  exercise 
of  her  gifts.  She  soon  commanded  the  attention  of  the 
officials  and  the  leading  citizens,  and  all  were  anxious  to 
attend  her  meetings.  At  the  first  only  thirteen  were  pres- 
ent, and  when  she  left  the  city  the  largest  hall  would  not 
accommodate  those  who  wished  to  attend.  The  story  of 
her  success  is  lust  told  by  a  correspondent  at  Leadville. 

THREE    MONTHS    IX    THE   MOUNTAINS. 

'"She  arrived  in  Leadville  almost  unannounced,  hut 
needed  no  introduction.  Everybody  seemed  to  know  her. 
.\-  an  evangel  of  the  gospel  of  good  tidings,  or  ;is  a  refugee 
escaping  from  tin-  torrid  heal  of  crowded  Eastern  cities, 
she  was  alike  welcome.  From  the  momenl  she  breathed 
tin'  pure  atmosphere  of  this  elevated  city  her  'foot  was 
on  its  native  heath.'  By  the  h<-st  citizens  and  families 
and  in  the  most  refined  social  circles,  she  was  received 
with  most  warm-hearted  welcome.    Nor  did  favorable  first 


286  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

impressions  grow  tame  ii]5on  a  more  intimate  acquaintance. 
She  is  one  of  those  'rare  and  radiant'  creatures  who 
disappoint  neither  strangers  nor  friends. 

"Her  mission  seemed  to  be,  and  was,  to  illumine  the 
dark  recesses  of  groping  minds  with  spiritual  light;  to 
assuage  the  sorrow  of  the  grief-stricken;  to  change  the 
bereaved  mother's  cry  of  desolation  to  one  of  joy;  to  soften 
the  agonies  of  remorse ;  to  inculcate  lessons  of  charity,  for- 
bearance and  love;  to  take  from  death  his  sting  by  assur- 
ing proofs  of  a  better  state  of  existence  to  which  earth 
life  is  but  the  vestibule. 

"Her  first  seances  were  held  at  the  pleasant  home  of 
Judge  Stansell  and  his  estimable  wife.  Soon  vacant  chairs 
were  at  a  premium  and  had  to  be  engaged  ahead.  The 
invigorating  freshness  of  the  air  by  day  and  its  delicious, 
coolness  by  night,  seemed  to  impart  new  elements  of  mag- 
netic and  vital  force  to  her  seances.  The  majesty  of  our 
surroundings,  a  thrifty  city  and  lovely  valley,  set  by  the 
Master  in  a  frame-work  of  snow-capped  mountains  and 
canopied  by  a  sky  of  intense  blue,  was  a  constant  stim- 
ulus and  source  of  boundless  delight. 

"She  convinced  the  doubter,  confirmed  the  wavering, 
overwhelmed  the  scoffing  fool,  opened  the  eyes  of  the  pro- 
fessing Christian  to  a  new  sense  of  spiritual  truth,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  angered  an  occasional  specimen  of 
that  class  of  conceited  bigots  who  can  invariably  tell  'how 
it  is  done,'  and  who  can  silence  all  controversy  by  noisy 
iterations  of  the  word  'fraud.'  Lawyers,  physicians,  mer- 
chants, judges,  miners,  laborers  and  earnest  men  and  wo- 
men of  all  classes  and  conditions  crowded  her  rooms.  Three 
of  our  most  prominent  clergymen,  representing  as  many 
different  denominations,  often  visited  her  seances.  The 
experiences  of  all  were  full  of  startling  novelty  and  inter- 
est. One  distinguished  member  of  the  bar  stated,  at  the 
close  of  his  first  seance,  that  he  had  witnessed  more  miracles 
that  evening  than  he  had  read  in  the  Bible  from  Genesis 
to  Revelations." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  287 

SLIDES  DOWN'    A    MOUNTAIN. 

A  trip  t"  Horseshoe  .Mountain,  involving  a  walk  of 
eleven  milt's  and  a  mule  back  ride  the  reel  of  the  way, 
was  attended  by  some  personal  risk  that  resulted  in  noth- 
ing more  than  an  amusing  incident.  .Mrs.  Lord  was  return- 
ing with  her  party,  when,  in  attempting  to  cross  a  deep 
ravine,  she  stumbled  and  fell,  sinking  up  to  her  neck  in 
yielding  snow.  She  managed  to  extricate  herself  and 
then  rolled  over  and  over  down  the  steep  incline  some 
seven  hundred  feet,  until  at  last  she  was  brought  to  a 
halt  by  a  rocky  projection,  not  in  the  least  scared  or  hurt. 
She  seemed  to  think  it  Avas  great  sport. 

TIIK  MOUNT  OF  HOLY  CROSS. 

A  journey  in  August  to  the  Holy  Cross  district  was 
replete  with  novel  and  enjoyable  incidents.  The  party  of 
twelve  included  the  venerable  Asa  B.  Hutchinson  (father 
of  the  celebrated  Hutchinson  family  of  singers  "from  the 
old  Granite  State")  ;  James  G.  Clarke,  the  well-known  poet 
and  vocalist;  Robert  McCracken,  for  ten  years  a  mining 
superintendent  in  old  Mexico;  Rev.  Mr.  Kershaw,  of  the 
Baptist  church:  .Mrs.  Wilson,  superintendent  of  public 
schools  in  Des  .Moines,  Iowa;  .Miss  Minnie  Tisdale,  a  pleas- 
ant young  lady,  a  friend,  companion  and  agent  of  Mrs. 
Lord,  and  several  others.  They  were  mounted  on  a  miscel- 
laneous assortment  of  sure-footed  mules  and  horses,  and 
wen-  absent  a  fortnight.  The  route  over  the  range,  extend- 
ing through  heavy  embankments  of  snow  and  along  narrow 
trails  that  admitted  the  passage  of  but  one  at  a  time,  was 
exceedingly  difficult.  But  no  mishap  occurred.  The  con- 
ventionalities of  city  life  were  discarded.  All  fared  alike, 
and  sumptuously  too,  upon  grouse,  speckled  trout  and  the 
provisions  brought  with  them.  Like  aborigines,  they 
Bquatted  around  the  camp  fires  by  night,  and  wrapped  in 
warm  blankets  slept  soundly  upon  the  ground  in  the  open 
air.  On  Sundays,  regular  lervices  were  held  in  the  "for- 
est primeval  "  which   were  attended   by  scores  of  miners 


288  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

from  far  and  near,  who,  when  the  party  left,  burned  a 
huge  bonfire  in  their  honor.  Appropriate  addresses  were 
delivered,  prayers  offered  and  the  singing  was  "perfectly 
splendid ! ' ' 

ORGANIZES  A  LARGE  SOCIETY. 

One  of  the  most  important  results  of  Mrs.  Lord's 
presence  in  Leadville  was  the  organization  of  "a  society 
for  the  investigation  of  spiritual  truths,"  .so  named  by 
Eev.  S.  D.  Bowker  (later  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.).  Mr.  P. 
A.  Simmons,  Mrs.  Moulton  and  others  helped  in  organizing 
this  society.  It  grew  with  every  weekly  gathering,  and 
numbered  nearly  three  hundred  active  members.  As  there 
were  several  thousand  spiritualists  and  conscientious  inves- 
tigators in  the  city  and  vicinity,  the  field  for  converts  to 
the  Harmonial  Philosophy  was  large.  The  people  congre- 
gated in  that  great  mining  city  were  as  fearless,  liberal 
minded  and  intelligent  as  any  on  earth,  and  when  they 
believed  they  had  the  courage  to  avow  their  convictions. 

PRESENTED    WITH    A    BEAUTIFUL    SILVER    BRICK. 

On  the  evening  of  the  22nd  of  September,  there  was 
a  benefit  for  Mrs.  Lord,  and  the  court  house,  the  largest 
and  best  appointed  room  in  the  city,  was  crowded.  So 
quietly  had  the  preliminaries  been  effected  that  she  had  no 
suspicion  of  what  was  going  on  until  she  entered  the  hall 
and  was  escorted  to  the  platform.  The  assemblage  was 
called  to  order  by  Judge  Simmons.  Judge  Rice,  after  dis- 
coursing eloquently  upon  spiritualism,  the  good  it  had  done 
and  was  destined  to  accomplish  and  of  her  work,  present- 
ed her  on  behalf  of  her  friends,  with  a  beautiful  brick  of 
solid  silver.  His  remarks  were  supplemented  by  brief  ad- 
dresses from  Judge  Stansell  and  Judge  Fishback,  who  also 
presented  her  with  several  $20  gold  pieces,  a  beautiful  oil 
painting  of  the  "Mount  of  the  Holy  Cross"  and  shares  of 
stock  in  various  mining  companies,  the  voluntary  offer- 
ings of  her  friends.     Nothing  mean  about  Leadville,  nor 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  289 

was  Miss  Tisdale  forgotten  in  this  distribution.  Her  gift 
was  a  massive  gold  ring  appropriately  inscribed. 

In  touching  terms  Mrs  Lord  expressed  her  heart- 
felt thanks,  and  when  she  ceased  speaking,  the  enthusi- 
asm was  at  its  height.  It  was  a  joyous  occasion,  not  only 
to  the  fair  beneficiaries,  but  to  all  who  participated  in  it 

The  brick  is  worthy  of  detailed  description.  It  was 
manufactured  from  native  ore,  weighs  52  ounces  and  10 
pennyweights,  and  is  1,000  fine.  It  is  as  polished  as  a 
mirror  and  exquisitely  engraved  by  a  local  artist,  Paul 
Lyon.  On  the  upper  face  at  the  right  side  stands  a  stal- 
wart miner  with  spade  in  hand  and  a  bucket,  lantern 
and  other  implements  of  his  calling,  at  his  feet.  On  the 
left  is  a  similar  figure  with  a  pick  on  his  shoulder;  a 
view  of  the  mountains  in  the  distance.  On  the  center  space 
is  inscribed,  "Love  and  Truth,"  and  underneath,  "Pre- 
sented to  Maud  E.  Lord,  by  her  many  friends  of  Lead- 
ville,  Colorado,  Sept.  22nd,  1881."  On  the  reverse  side 
appears  in  German  text,  "We  present  to  you  this  small 
memento  of  pure  unalloyed  silver  from  its  native  home 
as  emblematical  in  its  whiteness  of  the  purity  of  your 
heart,  and  refined  in  its  material  as  the  principles  you 
have  taught  us."  The  above  inscriptions  cover  the  upper 
and  lower  surface  respectively.  On  one  side  (length- 
wise) are  the  wrords,  "God  bless  and  protect  you  and  the 
principles  you  advocate,-  is  the  prayer  of  your  many  Lead- 
vine  friends."  The  ends  are  exquisitely  chased,  and  as  a 
whole  is  "a  thing  of  beauty." 

If  Mrs.  Lord's  arrival  was  unheralded,  her  depart- 
ure was.  in  its  way,  a  little  pageant.  She  was  escorted 
t<>  the  train  by  a  committee  of  seven  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
and  amid  the  hearty  "good-bye's"  and  "God  bless  youV 
and  tearful  adieus  of  scores  of  friends  she  left  for  Boston 
to  resume  her  work  in  that  city  of  liberal  thought.  She 
had  accomplished  far  more  than  she  anticipated  when 
she  came  to  Colorado  for  a  summer  vacation.  She  had 
earned  the  plaudits  of  "Well  done,  good  and  faithful 
servant."     All  were  her  friends  when  she  left  and  most 


290  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

royally  in  their  hearts  did  they  crown  her  with  laurels. 
It  is  written:  Que  meruit,  palmam  ferat.  (Who  merits 
the  palm  should  wear  it). 

The  silver  brick  was  left  on  exhibition  in  Leadville 
and  reached  her  later  at  Denver  by  express. 

Leadville,  Colorado,  Oct.  4th,  1881. 
Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord. 

Dear  Friend:  We  forward  to  you  by  express  and  in 
the  name  of  Thomas  Clayton  the  "Silver  Brick"  presented 
to  you  by  your  friends  on  the  eve  of  your  departure 
from  Leadville.  We  think  it  a  little  beauty  and  we  may 
safely  say  that  prize  it  as  you  may,  you  cannot  be  prouder 
of  it  than  are  your  Leadville  friends  of  you  and  their 
efforts  to  please  and  honor  you. 

And  now: 

May  you  find  in  other  climes 

Always   friends   as   true 
Uniting   in   their  works   of   good, 
Defending  truth  and  you, 
Ever  to  the  end:  — 
Set  thy  truthful,   loving  heart; 
On  them  its  Messing  cast, 
Returning  good  for  wrongs  received 
During  thy  future  as  in  thy  past. 

Is  the  prayer  of  your  Leadville  Friends. 
Respectfully, 

P.  H.  Simmons,  Pres. 
L.  Agnese  Moulton,  Secy. 

MEET    INDIANS   IN   WAR   PAINT. 

While  on  their  two  weeks'  trip  over  the  mountains  to 
the  district  of  the  Mount  of  Holy  Cross,  the  party 
encountered  a  band  of  Indians,  mounted  and  dressed  in 
war  paint.  What  to  do  they  did  not  know.  To  their 
consternation  they  saw  Mrs.  Lord  ride  boldly  in  among 
the  Indians,  gesticulating  and  talking  to  them  in  their 
ovm  language.  She  dismounted  with  all  the  ease  and  dig- 
nity of  a  great  chief  and  motioned  for  them  to  do  the 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  291 

same.  With  a  wave  of  her  hand  she  sat  down  upon  the 
ground  and  all  the  Indians  did  the  same.  She  took  the 
pipe  from  the  belt  of  one  who  appeared  to  be  the  leader 
and  after  smoking  for  a  moment  passed  it  to  the  leader. 
The  Indians  seemed  to  understand  the  situation,  and  after 
she  arose  and  mounted  her  horse  they  passed  on  out  of 
sight.  Mrs.  Lord  was  greatly  disgusted  when  told  that 
she  had  smoked  their  ''nasty  old  pipe,"  as  she  called  it. 
The  miners  in  the  mountains  had  heard  of  spiritual- 
ism and  wanted  a  seance.  Accordingly,  some  twelve  or 
fifteen  miners,  in  the  absence  of  chairs,  sat  on  the  ground 
with  Mrs.  Lord's  party  in  one  of  the  cabins.  The  man- 
ifestations were  better,  if  anything,  than  at  other  times. 
At  this  seance  they  were  greeted  with  a  perfect  shower 
of  pinks  and  rosebuds  and  full  blown  roses,  fresh  from 
their  stems,  brought  from  somewhere  beyond  those  snow- 
capped mountains.  Certainly  no  such  flowers  could  be 
found  within  a  hundred  miles  of  that  cabin. 

PROPHECY   VERIFIED   TWELVE   YEARS   LATER. 

A  young  lady  had  a  sitting  in  Leadville  in  1881, 
and,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  she  wanted  to  know  about 
the  man  she  was  to  marry  in  a  short  time.  It  seemed 
the  day  had  already  been  set  for  the  event.  Mrs.  Lord 
told  her  she  would  never  marry  that  man.  but  that  she 
would  marry  a  man  whose  initials  are  \V.  F. ;  that  she 
would  have  four  children, — a  boy  and  a  girl  and  then 
twins.  — and  one  of  the  twins  would  be  a  boy.  Here 
was  calculation,  or  ability  to  see  along  the  lines  of  a  life, 
to  thus  give  tli-'  initials  of  a  man  she  had  never  seen  and 
to  specify  such  details. 

Twelve  years  later  a  lady  called  upon  Mrs.  Lord, 
then  Mrs.  Drake,  in  Cripple  Creek,  Colorado,  and  said: 
"Mrs.  Lord,  here  are  your  four  children;  a  boy  and  a 
girl  and  a  pair  of  twins,  one  a  boy.  and  my  name  is  Mrs. 
Win.   French,  jnst  as  yon  told  me  in  1881." 

To  call  such  ;i  prediction  and  its  literal  fulfillment 
accident     or    iruesswork,    is    an    admission    of    ignorance, 


292  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

What  is  it?  How  was  it  done?  This  is  one  of  those 
stubborn  facts  that  persists  in  standing  in  the  way  of 
all  known  processes  of  solution.  What  is  science  going 
to  do  about  it? 

Then,  my  scientific  friend,  you  really  think  there  is 
something  in  these  spiritual  phenomena,  do  you?  Is  that 
all  you  dare  say  about  it?  You  dispute  our  hypothesis. 
What  is  your  theory? 

Many  cases  similar  to  the  above  have  been  predicted 
by  Mrs.  Lord,  and  other  mediums,  and  have  been  veri- 
fied with  startling  distinctness  and  accuracy.  The  birth 
of  Christ  was  foretold  and  the  Chaldean  Shepherds  were 
told  how  to  find  him.  Along  what  lines  must  the  mind 
travel  to  reach  these  specific  and  definite  conclusions? 

Advanced  spirits  claim  that  these  prophecies  are  the 
result  of  careful,  scientific  calculation.  The  wiser  and 
more  intelligent  the  spirit  and  the  greater  the  accuracy 
of  the  calculation,  the  more  accurate  the  prophecy  and 
its  details.  They  do  not,  however,  explain  their  methods 
of  calculation,  whereby  they  arrive  at  specific  details, 
such  as  the  foregoing  Leadville  incident  and  the  follow- 
ing, given  by  Mrs.  Drake's  control  to  a  Victor,  Colorado, 
lady: 

A  lady  living  in  Victor,  Colorado,  tells  of  a  peculiar 
experience  with  Mrs.  Lord.  She  was  having  a  private 
sitting  when  the  control  said  to  her:  "You  will  lose 
your  husband  by  accident  and  will  marry  again.  Your 
next  husband  will  be  a  doctor."  About  a  year  after 
that  her  husband  was  passing  a  hardware  store  in  which 
some  gentlemen  were  examining  a  revolver.  They  did 
not  know  it  was  loaded.  There  was  a  sudden  report  and 
the  ball,  passing  out  of  the  front  door,  killed  the  lady's 
husband.  The  control  told  her  further  that  this  doctor 
was  then  unknown  to  her,  but  that  he  would  attend  and 
assist  at  the  funeral  of  her  husband,  would  be  especially 
kind  to  her,  and  that  later  she  would  marry  him. 

Fifteen  years  later  this  same  lady  called  upon  Mrs. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  293 

Maud  Lord-Drake  ;it  Cripple  Creek  and  corroborated  the 
prediction  in  every  detail. 

Accurate  must  be  t lie  stage  setting  of  this  great  play 
of  life  to  put  a  man  in  front  of  a  stray  bullet,  to  be 
fired  seemingly  by  accident,  a  year  hence. 

.cuts  are  foretold  from  a  knowledge  of  cause 
and  effect,  but  not  in  detail  or  accurately.  Some  predic- 
tions are  made  by  those  skilled  in  astrological  calcula- 
tions, but  until  the  "lost  word"  or  the  key  to  astrology  is 
recovered  they  cannot  be  made  accurately  or  with  specific 
details. 

Prophecies  concerning  national  changes,  local  fam- 
ines, the  destruction  of  cities  and  thousands  of  people  by 
fires,  tidal  waves,  earthquakes  and  attendant  cataclysms, 
whose  hidden  causes  are  beyond  mortal  skill  to  discover 
and  measure, — prophecies  so  accurate  as  to  time  and  detail, 
that  they  predicate  an  intelligence  so  perfected  as  to  be 
able  to  see  the  end  from  the  beginning— are  made  only 
through  mediums  by  wise  spirits. 

Rev.  Dr.  Wilson,  of  Allegheny  City,  Pennsylvania, 
foretold  the  great  fire  of  1845  in  Pittsburg;  the  Mexican 
war  and  its  results;  the  war  between  Russia  and  the 
Western  Powers,  and  the  speedy  limitation  of  the  tem- 
poral power  of  the  Pope. 

Napoleon,  while  an  exile  on  the  Island  of  St.  Helena, 
made  the  following   prediction   about  the   United   States: 

"Ere  the  close  of  the  nineteenth  century,  America 
will  be  convulsed  with  one  of  the  greatest  revolutions  the 
world  has  ever  witnessed.  Should  it  succeed,  her  power 
and  prestige  are  lost,  but  should  the  government  maintain 
her  supremacy,  she  will  be  on  a  firmer  basis  than  ever. 
The  theory  of  a  republican  form  of  government  will  be 
established  and  she  will  defy  the  world." 

At  her  last  meeting  at  Leadville,  in  1881,  in  discuss- 
ing the  subject  of  prophecy  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  S.  D. 
Bowker,  she  said : 

"Spirit  force,  always  individualized,  always  intelli- 
gent,   and   either   always    perfect    or   to   be    perfected    by 


294  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

experience,  can  know  all  things.  By  the  cultivation  of 
its  inherent  quality,  or  faculty  of  divination,  it  can 
prophesy  all  that  is  to  be,  or  at  least  can  answer  all 
questions  the  human  intellect  can  formulate,  or  heart 
desire  to  know,  provided  the  avenue  of  manifestation  be 
opened." 

"Do  forms  of  force  other  than  spirits  of  men  and 
animals  think?  Are  plants  intelligent  and  can  they  talk 
and  reason?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"Surely,  the  myriad  of  other  individualized  forces 
manifesting  in  multitudinous  forms,  must  be  intelligent, 
to  organize  matter  according  to  the  law  of  their  needs, 
and  why  can  they  not  have  sensations  and  language? 
Man  and  all  animals  think  and  reason  and  have  a  language 
of  their  own;  why  not  the  trees,  plants  and  flowers?  They 
tell  us  many  things,  why  can  they  not  tell  each  other  even 
more  than  we  are  able  to  see,  hear  and  understand? 

"Why  cannot  this  higher  intelligence,  called  'man,' 
understand  the  language  of  the  trees  and  flowers, — of 
nature?  Language!  What  is  language  but  a  mode  of 
expressing  intelligence?  Is  the  world  ready  for  this  step 
and  the  next  to  follow? 

"From  my  childhood  I  have  reveled  in  nature  and  its 
expression.  No  matter  how  bleak  and  desolate,  it  was  an 
expression  of  the  Infinite,  and  as  such,  was  beautiful 
to  me.  As  a  child,  the  trees,  flowers  and  waving  grain 
talked  and  sang  to  me  in  a  language  of  their  own.  They 
told  me  of  the  approaching  storm  and  the  morrow's 
sunshine. 

"Spirits  convey  definite  forms  of  thought  to  me  with- 
out the  use  of  spoken  words.  Why  can  we  not  as  well 
understand  the  expression  of  that  intelligence  which  causes 
the  roots  of  the  trees  to  seek  moisture  and  the  tendrils 
of  plants  to  seek  the  nearest  support?  Change  the  loca- 
tion of  the  support  and  the  tendril  changes  its  direction 
accordingly.  Is  not  this  intelligence  and  reason  more 
certain  and  reliable  than  much  of  our  so-called  logic?" 

"Have  trees  and  plants  souls?"  asked  the  doctor. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  295 

"If  not,  why  not?"  she  replied.  "Soul  is  the  ani- 
mating, vital  principle,— the  individualized,  deific  essence, 
whose  actions  and  reactions  in  all  forms  and  in  all  things 
can  be  read  through  the  exercise  of  the  spirit's  sympa- 
thetic faculty  of  psychometry.  Tell  me  how  the  bottled 
essences  of  flowers  note,  as  they  do,  the  time  when  such 
flowers  are  in  bloom." 

There  were  very  many  incidents  in  her  short  stay  in 
Colorado  equally  as  important,  but  space  forbids  their 
mention.  No  two  of  her  seances  are  ever  alike.  There  is 
no  advance  program  in  genuine  spiritual  phenomena. 
From  its  very  nature  there  cannot  be ;  neither  were  any  two 
of  her  meetings  alike  in  the  speeches  and  public  tests,  only 
in  the  principles  enunciated  and  in  the  trend  of  thought 
was  there  any  similarity.  She  always  spoke  purely  from 
an  ethical  standpoint.  Accepting  the  Bible  and  its  ac- 
count of  spiritual  phenomena ;  believing  in  the  teachings  of 
Christ,  the  greatest  Medium  of  the  world;  believing  in 
prayer  and  its  elevating  influence;  believing  in  a  natural 
moral  religion,  rather  than  in  theological  dogma,  she  soon 
became  known  as  a  Bible  spiritualist  and  consequently 
antagonized  the  orthodox  as  well  as  some  professed  icono- 
clastic spiritualists  who  mistook  liberty  of  thought  for 
license  to  attack  forms  and  rites  upon  which  homes  and 
consequently  governments  are  based. 

To  this  latter  class;  and  to  all,  she  appealed  for  more 
earnest  work  on  the  lines  of  higher  education,  cleaner 
lives,  broader  charities  and  greater  humility.  To  the  young 
she  urged  loftier  purpose,  not  in  fear  of  punishment, 
but  because  of  better  results  to  themselves  and  to  the  race. 
So  earncsl  was  she  in  her  advocacy  of  morality  and  tem- 
perance, and  in  showing  the  effects  of  alcohol  and  nico- 
tine on  the  vital  forces,  resulting  in  filling  our  eleemosy- 
nary institutions  with  mental  and  moral  unfortunates, 
that  she  called  to  mind  the  great  English  temperance 
orator,— Gough. 

In  discussions  with  the  clergy,  who  often  opposed 
her,  to  check  their  congregations  from  attending  her  meet- 


296  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ings,  she  would  take  them  on  their  own  grounds,  quoting 
from  the  Apostles  and  the  Prophets,  showing  that  com- 
munion with  the  spirits  of  the  so-called  dead  was  so  com- 
mon in  Bible  times  that  it  did  not  call  for  comment  or 
explanation.  Read  the  book  of  Zachariah  and  First  Cor- 
inthians, Ch.  XII;  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles;  Luke,  Ch. 
I,  verse  22.  Even  the  Pharisees,  in  Acts,  Ch.  XIII,  verse 
9,  acknowledged  Paul's  mediumship ;  see  the  command 
given  in  First  John,  Ch.  IV,  verse  1.  To  their  standard 
cry,  that  only  evil  spirits  can  communicate,— that  all  is 
evil, — she  asked  them  to  explain  why  the  Lord  sent  evil 
spirits ;  Second  Chronicles,  Ch.  XVIII ;  why  their  God 
was  more  gracious  to  evil  spirits,  and  if  they  knew 
of  any  other  law  He  had  changed  to  fit  their  theology. 
At  the  close  of  all  of  her  meetings  she  stepped  down 
among  those  present  and  described  for  only  strangers  and 
skeptics.  In  this  part  of  her  work  she  seemed  unsur- 
passed and  unlike  any  other  medium.  Her  audiences  were 
usually  made  up  of  the  unbelieving,  and  her  descrip- 
tions were  invariably  confined  to  strangers  and  skeptics. 
Very  many  of  these  listened  to  the  descriptions  with  an 
independent  bravado  of  unbelief,  but  as  she  turned  back 
the  pages  of  their  lives  revealing  incidents  long  forgotten, 
and  told  them  of  the  loved  ones  who  stood  about  them 
anxious  for  recognition,  and  related  incidents,  sometimes 
humorous,  sometimes  pathetic,  it  seemed  as  though  she 
had  bridged  the  two  worlds.  Such  was  the  general  char- 
acter of  her  platform  work. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


RETURN   TO   BOSTON. 


At  this  time  spiritualism  had  been  prominently  before 
the  public  for  thirty  years;  and,  so  many  arrant  impostors, 
pretending  to  be  mediums,  were  practicing  their  tricks,  that 
hypercritical  investigators,  materialists  and  bigoted  theo- 
logians called  it  all  a  fraud.  Mrs.  Lord  was  probably  the 
only  medium  who  escaped  calumny  and  abuse.  Notwith- 
standing her  seances  were  held  in  the  dark,  the  manifest 
absence  of  confederates  and  the  unmistakable  and  palpa- 
ble presence  of  the  invisibles,  forced  conviction  upon  the 
most  skeptical. 

Among  the  many  seances  held  in  Boston  on  her  re- 
turn from  Denver  was  one  attended  by  John  "Wetherbee, 
a  writer  of  considerable  note.  At  this  seance  the  Bkep- 
.  en  every  opportunity  to  satisfy  themselves. 
The  doors  were  locked  by  one  of  them,  and  during  the 
entire  evening  some  one  of  their  number  gave  close  atten- 
tion to  .Mrs.  Lord,  by  putting  their  feet  on  her  feet,  or  by 
holding  her  hinds.  At  other  times  she  constantly  patted 
her  hands,  that  all  would  know  she  was  not  touching 
them.  The  manifestations  were  quite  varied,  but  much 
similar  to  those  given  by  her  in  other  places,  which  have 
been  so  often  described. 

By  request  the  company  was  fanned,  and  then  the 
fan  was  sent  whirling  round  the  circle  near  each  face  with 

!  velocity;  the  tiny  music-box  was  played  by  one  of 
the  invisibles,  so  that  all  could  hear  its  music  over  their 
heads,  sometimes  at  one  side  of  the  room  and  sometimes 
the  other,  and  then,  by  request,  it   would  land  in  the  hand 

of  the  person  who  desired  it.    The  guitar  was  often  taken 
from  one   Utp   to   another,   ami    raps   upon   it  were   loudly 


298  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

given  in  answer  to  mental  questions.  Nearly  every  one's 
hands  were  touched  by  spirit  fingers,  sometimes  quite 
forcibly.  A  ring  was  taken  by  mental  request  from  one, 
and  placed  on  the  finger  of  a  person  in  the  circle  opposite. 
If  willed  back  it  would  be  returned  and  placed  upon  one  of 
the  designated  fingers.  The  suddenness  with  which  this 
was  done  precluded  the  possibility  of  human  agency. 

Mrs.  Lord  turned  to  a  lady  and  gentleman  and  gave 
them  the  names  of  two  of  their  children  which  they  acknowl- 
edged to  be  correct.  Turning  quickly  to  them  again  she 
said:  "I  see  another  little  one,  smaller  than  the  others. 
She  must  have  been  killed,  or  at  least  wounded,  by  being 
run  over  by  a  horse ! "  "  Yes, ' '  said  the  mother,  ' '  we  have 
lost  our  three  children. ' '  The  medium  again  said :  ' '  This 
child  has  just  put  her  hand  to  her  head  to  show  me  where 
she  was  injured."  "Yes,"  responded  the  lady,  "she  was 
hurt  in  the  head. "  "  That  is  a  good  test,  isn  't  it  ? "  was  the 
response.  Directly  a  sonorous  voice  was  heard  in  the  air, 
exclaiming :  ' '  And  thus  the  noble  work  goes  on ! "  Mrs. 
Lord  pleasantly  remarked:  "That  must  be  some  enthu- 
siastic spirit." 

"W.  D.  Crockett's  father  announced  himself  and  was 
recognized  by  the  son.  Mr.  Wetherbee  also  identified  his 
spirit  friend,  Ralph  Huntington.  His  name  was  distinctly 
whispered  in  the  air.  Ralph,  it  seems,  came  by  previous 
appointment,  of  which  the  medium  knew  nothing.  He 
said,  ' '  John,  I  am  here  as  I  promised  you  I  would  be. ' '  Mr. 
Wetherbee  had  been  sitting  with  another  medium  that 
afternoon  when  the  spirit  came  and  identified  himself,  and 
said  he  knew  friend  Wetherbee  was  booked  for  Mrs.  Lord's 
seance,  and  he  (Huntington)  would  be  there  and  would 
speak.  The  voice  was  distinctly  heard  by  several  in  the 
seance.  It  was  a  noticeable  fact  that  Mrs.  Lord  was  de- 
scribing spirits  to  others  and  patting  her  hands  at  the 
moment  Mr.  Wetherbee 's  spirit  friend  was  talking  with  him. 

A  spirit  said  to  a  German  gentleman  (a  skeptic)  : 
"You  have  something  of  mine."  "What  is  it?"  asked 
the  stranger.     Before  any  reply  could  be  made  Mrs.  Lord 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  299 

remarked,  "I  see  her.  She  has  curious  looking  hair;  I  can- 
not describe  it;  and  what  lustrous  eyes!"  "Yes,"  hastily 
responded  the  skeptic.  "She  says  she  gave  you  a  gold 
locket  with  the  imprint  of  a  foreign  coin  upon  it." 

'Yes,"  responded  the  listener.  "And  she  also  gave 
you  a  seal  witli  a  head  cut  on  it,"  added  the  medium. 
"Yes,"  responded  the  gentleman,  "I  have  them  upon  my 
watchguard  at  this  very  moment."  Then,  in  a  low  voice 
to  his  friend,  he  remarked.  "Isn't  it  wonderful?"  After 
the  seance  he  allowed  those  present  to  examine  both  the 
articles  which  answered  exactly  to  the  description  given 
by  the  spirit. 

A    WEALTHY    SPIRITUALIST    TAKES    MRS.    LORD'S    HOME. 

If    faith    in    human    constancy 

Be   but   a   dream   at   best; 
If   falsehood   lurk  where   love  should   be, 

Yet  in  that  dream  I'm  blest; 
If  warning  of  a  coming  wrong 

unot  avert  the  blow; 
If  knowledge   fails   to   make   me  strong — 
Tis  better  not  to  know. 

—  IIaughton. 

Mrs.  Lord's  controls  had  found  a  beautiful  home, 
elegantly  furnished  in  a  desirable  part  of  the  city,  Xo. 
26  Cluster  Park,  which  they  told  her  she  could  buy  for 
much  Less  than  it  was  worth.  She  looked  at  the  property. 
ami  was  delighted  to  think  she  could  secure  a  home  for 
her  mother  and  little  daughter.  A  prominent  business  man, 
by  the  name  of  Cottrell,  offered  to  examine  it  for  her. 
lie  thought  it  a  great  bargain  and  told  her  that  he  would 
loan  her  money  to  help  pay  for  it,  and,  if  she  would 
authorize  him  to  do  the  business,  no  one  could  cheat  her. 

She  arranged  with  the  bank  that  held  the  property 
for  Bale  to  purchase  it  for  $10,500.  Cottrell  was  to  loan 
her  $2/500.00  ami  tike  her  note  for  that  amount.  The  bank 
was  to  carry  >.~>.000  of  the  amount.  Supposing  that  her 
friend  was  honest,  as  he  claimed  to  be,  she  placed  her 
money   in  his   hands  and   authorized  him  to  do  the  busi- 


300  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  house  was  purchased.  Mrs.  Lord  paid  $3,000.00 
cash,  all  money  she  had  saved  up  to  that  time,  and  bor- 
rowed $2,500  from  Cottrell.  She  moved  into  it,  as  a  home, 
and  began  to  work  harder  than  ever  to  pay  for  it.  At  one 
time  she  paid  Cottrell  $550.00,  at  another  $300.00,  and 
various  other  sums  from  $50.00  to  $150.00,  as  she  could 
earn  the  money.  He  told  her  she  was  not  paying  enough 
on  the  note  and  advised  her  to  give  up  the  house.  This 
made  her  work  harder  than  ever.  The  thought  of  hav- 
ing a  home  for  her  mother  and  daughter  urged  her  to 
greater  economy  and  longer  hours  of  work.  Not  knowing 
anything  about  such  business,  and  trusting  him  implicitly, 
she  handed  over  all  of  her  earnings  to  this  pretended  spirit- 
ualist. He  told  her  a  receipt  was  not  necessary  as  he  would 
indorse  everything  on  her  note.  She  had  signed  several 
papers,  at  his  request,  when  the  trade  was  made,  and  was 
told  one  of  them  was  a  note  to  him  for  $2,500. 

Her  controls  continued  to  tell  her  something  was 
wrong,  but  she  would  not  heed  them  and  kept  on  handing 
her  money  over  to  Cottrell.  as  fast  as  she  earned  it,  until 
she  was  quite  sure  she  had  paid  him  his  $2,500.  She  did 
not  heed  any  of  the  controls'  warnings  as  Cottrell  had 
married  her  husband's  (Albert  Lord)  cousin,  for  whom 
she  had  cared  so  many  years. 

Feeling  sure  she  had  paid  the  $2,500,  she  sent  her  next 
earnings  to  Cottrell  by  Dr.  B.  F.  Galloupe  and  told  him  to 
have  Cottrell  give  up  her  note.  He  wanted  Dr.  Galloupe 
to  wait  until  Mrs.  Lord  returned  before  receiving  the 
money.  Dr.  Galloupe  insisted  on  paying  and  having  a 
receipt,  or  the  note.  Cottrell  finally  took  it  and  give  him  a 
receipt  for  rent. 

Dr.  Galloupe  said,  "Here,  Cottrell,  this  is  not  right; 
let  me  see  the  note."  Thus  cornered,  he  said,  "To  tell  you 
the  truth  that  house  is  mine  and  I  am  crediting  what  she 
pays  me  on  rent.  I  purchased  it  in  my  own  name  and  not 
in  her  name." 

When  Mrs.  Lord  was  made  aware  of  the  situation  she 
was  nearly  heart-broken.    More  than  a  year  of  hard,  weary 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  301 

work  and  every  dollar  she  had  on  earth  gone  He  was  all 
the  time  boasting  of  his  honesty  and  pretending  to  be  a 
spiritualist.  She  would  not  believe  him  guilty  of  such 
baseness  until  she  learned  it  from  his  own  lips.  She  then 
said  to  him:  "Mr.  Cottrell,  I  am  unutterably  surprised  at 
your  baseness  and  perfidy.  I  have  gone  almost  bare- 
footed, without  suitable  clothing  to  appear  in  public;  I  have 
economized  in  every  way;  and,  it'  you  choose  to  rob  me  and 
my  little  child  when  you  are  so  rich  in  lands,  houses  and 
money,  when  I  have  not  a  dollar  or  a  place  to  lay  my 
head  or  shelter  my  child,  you  may  take  the  house  and  keep 
the  money,  for  I  have  no  receipts  for  all  I  have  handed 
over  to  you.  so  implicitly  have  I  trusted  you  all  these  long, 
weary  months.  You  are  an  old  man  and  have  not  long  to 
live  here;  and.  if,  for  my  many  years  of  faithful  service, 
the  spirit  world  choose  to  give  me  a  clean,  fair  home  in  that 
after  life,  and  you  should  be  put  into  a  hovel,  such  as  your 
actions  here  entitle  you  to  have,  come  to  me  and  I  will 
share  with  you  the  very  best  I  have.    Such  are  the  lessons  I 

have  r ived  from  the  Master  during  all  the  years  I  have 

been  called  to  do  his  work." 

He  turned  uneasily  and  tried  to  justify  his  acts  by 
saying  she  could  not  pay  for  it,  and  the  money  she  had 
paid  him  was  no  more  than  a  good  rent.  Thus  this  rich 
man  let  her  go  out  into  the  streets  with  just  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents— all  the  money  she  had. 

Oh,  heart  fast  sinking  beneath  the  load! 

Sad  eyes  grown  dim  with  the  bitter  tears! 
Oh.  feet  that  bleed  from  the  rock>  road, 

That  leads  along  through  the  reeling  years! 
Their  bright  wings  hover  unceasingly, 

He  giveth  His  angels  watch  o'er  thee! 

— L  'enfant  Perdu. 

sin-  hail  no  one  in  the  wide  world  to  right  her  wrongs, 
and  again  Bhe  went  forth  to  weary  labor.  Several  wealthy 
spiritualists,  Learning  of  the  transaction,  offered  to  n<l- 
vance  her  money  and  to  make  Cottrell  restore  the  property. 

She  said.  "No.  it   will  only  place  me  under  obligations  to 


302  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

you  and  give  me  notoriety  and  injure  the  cause  I  love  so 
dearly.  I  have  no  money  for  lawsuits.  I  have  no  receipts 
to  show.  He  is  wealthy  and  you  know  what  wealth  can  do 
with  courts  and  juries.  Let  him  keep  it.  He  will  have  to 
meet  the  consequences  somewhere  along  life's  way.  The 
divine  laws  of  compensation — not  reward  and  punishment 
— but  cause  and  effect,  are  as  unerring  and  as  exact  as  any 
and  all  other  natural  laws.  He  can  no  more  escape  from 
the  consequences  of  his  thoughts  and  acts  than  he  can 
escape  from  this  planet  in  his  physical  body.  God  has  no 
laws  we  can  contravene  with  impunity.  I  can  care  for  my- 
self, as  I  have  done  in  the  past.  I  only  pity  him.  He  knows 
not  what  he  does.     (Luke  XVIII  1-24). 

__  Val.,  one  of  Mrs.  Lord's  controls,  however,  proposed 
Mr.  Cottrell's  possessions  should  not  be  very  profitable. 
Mrs.  Lord  walked  away  from  the  place  that  for  more  than 
a  year  she  supposed  was  her  own,  and  the  house  was  rented 
to  a  family  of  Jewish  faith.  Val.,  the  control,  and  his 
party,  took  rooms  in  the  house  at  the  same  time.  The  lady 
of  the  house  went  insane  and  the  family  moved  out.  It 
was  again  rented  to  a  family  who  remained  only  a  short 
time.  For  some  cause  they  could  not  sleep.  It  was  next 
rented  to  a  family  named  Brown,  a  very  harmonious 
family  of  two  brothers  and  three  sisters.  Dissension  arose 
between  the  two  brothers  when  one  of  them  fell  into  the 
coal  hole  in  the  sidewalk  in  front  of  the  house  and  broke 
his  leg.  The  sisters  said  they  had  never  known  the  two 
brothers  to  have  any  trouble  in  their  lives  before  this  time. 

The  Browns  rented  rooms.  They  were  no  sooner  set- 
tled in  the  house  than  trouble  commenced.  A  retired  sea 
captain  and  his  wife  who  had  rooms  on  the  second  floor 
came  down  one  morning  and  asked,  "Who  was  that  man  in 
our  room  last  night." 

They  told  him  there  was  no  one  in  the  house  who  could 
get  into  their  room. 

Then  they  described  him  as  a  tall  man-  with  dark  hair 
and  wearing  a  cloak  and  broad-brimed  hat,  a  kind  of  som- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  303 

brero.  They  again  assured  him  no  one  could  get  into 
the  room. 

The  next  morning  they  came  down  and  said  they 
guessed  they  would  not  stay,  as  the  man  was  in  their  room 
again.  Be  stood  at  the  foot  of  the  bed  so  both  could  see 
him.  The  man  did  not  speak  and  the  old  captain,  think- 
ing lie  was  a  burglar  picked  up  one  of  his  heavy  boots  and 
threw  at  him.  The  boot  went  clear  through  the  man.  He 
did  not  move  for  an  instant:  and.  then  he  disappeared. 

The  next  night  everybody  in  the  house  was  awakened 
by  the  noise  like  a  keg  of  nails  rolling  from  the  top  of 
the  stairs  down  to  the  front  hall  on  the  first  floor,  strik- 
ing every  stair  on  its  way  down. 

Everybody  rushed  into  the  halls.  They  tried  to  light 
the  gas  in  the  hall  and  front  parlor,  but  could  not.  They 
examined  the  stairs  and  front  hall,  but  found  nothing  un- 
usual, nothing  that  could  have  made  such  a  noise.  They 
all  dressed  and  remained  in  the  parlor  until  morning  when 
all  the  roomers  left  for  other  quarters. 

The  next  disaster  the  water  back  in  the  range  blew 
up.  No  sooner  was  this  repaired  than  all  the  outside 
blinds  on  the  third  story  blew  off  and  were  found  shat- 
tered and  useless  on  the  ground  next  morning. 

The  next  thing  the  water  pipes  over  the  parlors  com- 
menced to  leak  and  brought  down  all  the  elegant  fresco 
and  ceiling.  Plumbers,  came  and  cleared  away  the  wreck 
but  could  not  find  any  leak  in  the  pipes.  In  two  or  three 
erything  was  again  in  nice  repair,  and  the  leaking 
commenced  again. 

These  transactions  came  to  Mrs.  Lord's  attention  in  a 
peculiar  way.  Arising  one  morning  she  found  $00.00  in 
currency  on  the  window  sill  of  her  bedroom.  As  she  picked 
the  money  up  she  heard  VaL  say:  "That  is  the  first 
month's  rent  for  your  house  on  Chester  Park."  That  after- 
lied  at  No.  26  Chester  Park  and  found  the 
family  very  intelligent  and  lovely  people.  She  asked  the 
sisters  if  they  had  lost  any  money.  They  were  greatly  sur- 
prised ,-it  such  a  question  coming  from  a  stranger  as  they 


304  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

had  only  just  missed  the  money  and  had  not  told  anyone. 
They  told  her  they  had  saved  up  $90.00  and  had  placed  it 
in  a  cupboard  the  night  before  intending  to  take  it  that 
afternoon  and  pay  Mr.  Cottrell. 

Mrs.  Lord  handed  them  the  money  saying:  "Is  this 
your  money?"  at  the  same  time  telling  how  it  came  to  her, 
and  telling  them  how  she  was  cheated  out  of  her  home. 
They  in  turn  told  her  of  all  the  trouble  they  had  had  since 
moving  into  the  house  and  the  trouble  other  tenants  had 
before  them. 

The  family  remained  only  a  few  months.  After  this 
it  was  difficult  to  induce  anyone  to  occupy  the  house,  and, 
at  last  accounts,  the  owner  was  obliged  to  dispose  of  it. 
Sometimes  the  consequences  of  our  acts  reach  us  in  this  life. 

A 'QUAKER  ATTENDS  HIS  OWN  FUNERAL. 

To  show  that  there  are  some  broad,  liberal-minded 
men  in  the  ranks  of  the  orthodox  ministry  who  have  out- 
grown their  creeds  and  recognize  that  there  are  more 
ways  to  heaven  than  through  the  doors  at  which  they  stand 
guard,  a  Back  Bay  Baptist  Minister  sent  for  Mrs.  Lord  to 
come  to  his  church  and  officiate  at  the  funeral  of  one  of  his 
congregation,  who  was  a  Quaker  and  a  spiritualist.  In  the 
audience  were  many  of  Boston's  most  prominent  people 
who  were  spiritualists.  A  lady  present  told  her  husband 
it  was  so  curious  to  see  that  old  gentleman  walk  from  his 
position  back  of  Mrs.  Lord  down  to  the  casket  during  the 
services.  The  old  gentleman  seemed  very  much  inter- 
ested in  the  remarks  and  in  watching  the  congregation,  and 
several  times  during  the  services  passed  in  front  of  Mrs. 
Lord  and  looked  at  the  casket.  As  she  and  her  husband 
passed  the  casket  she  nearly  fainted.  She  said,  "That  is 
the  queer  old  man  I  saw  near  Mrs.  Lord  while  she  was 
talking,  who  kept  looking  at  the  casket  so  curiously."  By 
some  strange  law  of  magnetic  vibration  her  spiritual  vision 
was  so  attuned  that  she  could  see  him. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  305 

FAME  PREDICTED. 

Mrs.  Francis  Burnett,  the  story  writer,  came  to  Mrs. 
Lord,  tired  and  weary  with  the  struggle  for  fame  and 
fortune:  and.  said.  "Oh,  Maud,  must  I  always  write  stories 
for  a  living  1  This  writing,  writing,  everlasting  writing! 
Oh.  dear,  will  it  never  amount  to  anything!" 

What  master  of  mirage  drew  aside  the  curtain  of  her 
life'  "Yes,"  Mrs.  Lord  replied,  I  see  you  writing  some- 
thing so  tender,  sweet  and  natural  that  it  will  appeal  to 
the  higher  and  holier  sentiments  of  the  public.  It  will  be 
dramatized  and  played  all  over  the  country  and  bring  you 
plenty  of  money.  See  to  it  that  you  make  it  clean  and  pure 
and  natural.     Your  spirit  friends  will  help  you." 

"How  long  must  I  wait0"  "Not  long,  the  public  are 
ready  for  it  now,"  was  the  reply.  All  remember,  "Little 
Lord  Fontleroy,"  written  by  this  lady. 

a  scientist's  experiment. 

J.  D.  Featherstonehaugh.  an  engineer  of  note,  a  resi- 
dent of  Schenectady,  New  York,  avIio,  like  many  other 
scientists,  was  quite  unfriendly  to  this  transcendental  sub- 
ject,  in  his  later  years  made  quite  extensive  experiments 
in  psyehieal  research  with  many  mediums.  From  one  of 
his  unpublished  works  on  this  subject  we  copy  one  or  two 
of  his  experiences  with  Mrs.  Lord.  They  were  all  con- 
ducted miller  test  conditions.  Speaking  of  his  first  meet- 
in  i:  with  Mrs.  Lord  he  says : 

"Everybody  at  the  seance  was  a  stranger  to  me.  yet 
the  light  had  not  been  extinguished  a  minute  when  my 
open  hand  was  violently  slapped  in  a  manner  that  indi- 
cated exaet  vision,  and  then  energetically  and  painfully 
shaken,  as  if  by  some  unusually  strong  man.  after  a  long 
separation,  whilst  a  voice  in  my  ear  called  me  by  a  boyish 
nickname  I  had  not  heard  for  forty  years.  This  name  was 
distinctly  heard  and  remarked  upon  by  those  sitting  near 
me.  The  medium  also  addressed  me  by  my  Christian  and 
surname,  described  relatives  of  mine  correctly,  their  right 


30G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

relationship  to  each  other,  and  gave  their  names  in  three 
instances.  The  names,  person,  personal  peculiarities,  hab- 
its and  relationship  she  spoke  of,  in  no  instance  were  of 
those  then  living,  and  it  is  most  remarkable  that  no  mis- 
take was  made  with  respect  to  this.   ■ 

She  apparently  had  an  intimate  knowledge  of  myself 
and  five  relatives  who  had  lived  in  many  parts  of  the  world, 
and  some  of  whom  had  died  fifty  years  before  she  was 
born.  It  was  not  only  the  relationship  between  the  dead 
and  myself  which  she  so  positively  knew,  but  the  relation- 
ship of  the  dead  to  the  other  invisibles,  said  to  be  present, 
of  no  kinship  to  me.  It  was,  in  fact,  an  accurate  tran- 
script of  my  secret  knowledge  and  associations  connected 
with  it,  coming  out  without  any  suggestion  or  conscious 
thought  on  my  part. 

Innumerable  scintillating  sparks  rose  from  the  floor, 
and  oval  shapes  of  phosphorescent  light  floated  about,  rest- 
ing occasionally  on  the  persons  and  heads  of  those  present. 
On  covering  this  light  with  my  hands,  it  still  continued  to 
shine  on  underneath  them,  as  if  not  coming  from  any  ex- 
terior source. 

Almost  everybody  was  touched  by  fingers  of  different 
sizes,  for  which  no  cause  could  be  ascertained,  but  gen- 
erally in  a  furtive  and  momentary  way,  that  carried  with 
it  the  idea  of  human  dexterity,  corrected,  however,  by  the 
fact  that  the  hands,  arms  and  manner  of  accost  were  some- 
times those  of  small  children,  when  certainly  there  were  no 
children  in  the  room  and  none  could  have  gained  admit- 
tance. The  touches  were  so  quickly  made  and  so  evasive 
that  there  was  no  opportunity  to  grasp  "the  hand.  To 
bring  the  operator,  whoever  it  was,  a  little  nearer  to  me,  I 
asked  to  be  kissed,  as  a  trap  to  seize  her,  if  she  acceded  to 
it.  Immediately  arms  were  thrown  around  my  neck  and  I 
was  kissed  repeatedly  on  the  face.  There  was  no  one  there 
that  I  could  feel  or  grasp.  What,  however,  I  did  not  ask 
for  or  expect,  was  a  sentence  whispered  to  me  by  the 
same  lips  that  kissed  me,  which  had  no  meaning  unless  it 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  307 

came  from  the  alleged  source,  and  could  be  understood  by- 
no  living  person  but  myself. 

In  order  to  obtain  more  proof  that  the  medium  would 
recognize  a  vision  she  had  once  seen,  when  it  afterwards 
purported  to  come  to  some  other  relative,  a  stranger  to 
all   present,   the   following   experiment    was   tried: 

The  alleged  spirit  of  a  lady  who  had  been  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  mine,  so  often  shook  hands  and  talked 
with  me  at  different  seances,  that  Mrs.  Lord  came  to  know 
and  recognize  the  form  whenever  it  presented  itself.  I 
engaged  the  son  of  this  lady  to  attend  a  meeting  under  an 
assumed  name.  He  had  never  been  to  a  seance,  and  had 
no  manner  of  knowledge  of  the  subject,  belief  in  it,  or 
acquaintance  among  the  persons  connected  with  it.  He 
knew  nothing  of  my  object  in  inviting  him  there.  The 
seance  was  not  held  in  the  place  where  he  resided,  and  he 
was  a  stranger  to  all  present  except  myself.  Whilst  the 
medium  was  sitting  in  front  of  him,  with  her  back  toward 
me,  she  exclaimed  that  my  friend.  Mrs.  S.,  was  placing 
her  arms  around  this  gentleman's  neck.  On  my  observing 
that  it  was  strange  she  did  not  come  to  me,  as  she  had 
always  done,  a  man's  hand  pressed  mine  (the  medium  was 
ten  feet  away,  talking  continuously)  and  another  voice, 
to  me  replied.  "She  has  found  somebody  she  loves 
more."  The  gentleman's  name  and  his  mother's  were  then 
spoken  by  a  voice,  in  the  same  tone  this  intelligence  had  so 
often  used  to  me.  In  this  instance,  the  medium  at  once 
recognized  the  form  she  had  before  seen,  this  time  not 
coming  to  me,  but  appropriately  embracing  and  talking  to 
her  son,  a  stranger  to  all  the  parties. 

To  ascertain  whether  my  knowledge  and  presence  had 
Borne  anconsciona  influence  in  directing  the  result,  I  en- 
gaged  a  friend  of  mine  to  go  alone  to  a  seance.  Mrs.  Lord 
presently  told  him  that  the  spirit  addressing  him  was 
the  same  which  had  so  often  eome  to  me,  and  a  voice  gave 
its  name,  his  own,  and  the  relationship  (a  very  near  one) 
between  them.    Again  there  was  recognition  of  a  form  pre- 


308  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

viously  seen,  although  the  person  present  was  entirely  un- 
known. 

Hearing  that  Mrs.  Lord  was  to  give  some  seances  in 
New  York,  I  telegraphed  to  a  relative  to  obtain  an  inter- 
view. He  did  so  the  same  evening,  and  for  greater  precau- 
tion under  an  assumed  name.  Nevertheless,  the  medium, 
whom  he  had  never  before  seen,  gave  him  the  same  descrip- 
tion of  a  form  she  had  given  to  me,  which  he  recognized  at 
once,  and  a  voice  told  him  his  true  name,  Its  own,  and  the 
relationship  to  him  and  myself. 

A  medical  friend,  at  my  request,  attended  a  seance 
held  by  Mrs.  Lord,  whom  he  there  saw  for  the  first  time. 
A  child  apparently  addressed  him  as  doctor  (his  profes- 
sion and  name  were  entirely  unknown)  stating  that  it 
knew  me,  sending  its  love,  and  giving  its  name  as  Snow- 
drop. Two  years  previously  a  sprightly  little  intelligence 
with  diminutive  hands,  arms  and  a  child's  manner  of 
speech,  seemed  to  take  a  fancy  to  me,  and  sportively  gave 
its  name  as  Snowdrop. 

I  begged  a  friend  residing  in  a  distant  place  to  attend 
a  seance.  At  the  time  of  writing  I  formed  the  wish  that 
an  intelligence  which  often  professed  to  be  with  me,  should 
make  some  demonstration  of  its  presence  at  any  meeting 
my  correspondent  might  attend.  My  friend  accordingly 
went  to  a  seance  and  although  a  stranger  to  the  medium, 
my  messenger,  so  to  speak,  called  him  by  his  name,"  gave 
its  own  correctly,  and  added  that  I  had  written  to  him  on 
the  subject. 

In  the  experiment  I  am  about  to  relate,  I  placed  Mrs. 
Lord  at  a  table,  with  her  hands  resting  near  the  middle, 
where  she  kept  them  during  the  whole  time.  The  table 
had  a  lower  horizontal  shelf,  which  filled  up  the  space 
between  the  legs,  and  was  about  three  inches  above  the 
floor.  Under  this  piece  I  placed  a  slate  with  a  short  pen- 
cil lying  on  it.  We  joined  hands  on  the  top  of  the  table 
for  about  the  space  of  five  minutes,  when  perfectly  audible 
and  rapid  writing  began,  the  t's  being  crossed  and  the  i's 
dotted  with  vehemence.     The  writing  stopped  and  a  noise 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  309 

was  heard  as  if  turning  the  slate  over.  Then  the  pencil 
began  again,  and  presently  the  slate  was  handed  up  and 

placed  on  my  knees.  Both  sides  of  the  slate  were  filled, 
each  in  very  different  handwriting;  the  one  cursive  and 
flowing,  the  other  cramped  and  stiff.  The  letters  were 
signed  with  the  names  the  substance  of  them  required.  Six 
names  were  written,  all  of  them  friends  of  mine,  living 
o*  dead.  This  occurred  in  a  lighted  room,  with  a  new 
and  unused  slate,  the  medium  did  not  touch.  One  of  the 
words  had  been  rubbed  out  and  another  substituted  in 
larger  and  whiter  letters.  The  letters  were  uniform,  and 
the  lines  straight  and  parallel  to  each  other.  The  writ- 
ing was  not  at  all  like  the  medium's,  of  which  I  procured 
several  specimens,  and  did  not  in  the  least  resemble  mine. 

By  careful  and  repeated  experiment  the  most  exact 
scientific  certainty  is  to  be  acquired  of  the  reality  of  these 
phenomena,  and  in  many  cases  of  an  intelligence  directing 
them,  not  referable  to -the  mental  action  of  the  persons 
present.  "When,  however,  we  come  to  the  question  of  the 
identity  of  the  intelligence  communicating  with  us,  the 
exact  proof  that  we  ought  to  obtain  is  not  always  to  be 
procured.  Still  no  one  can  become  personally  familiar 
with  the  subject,  without  a  conviction  that  the  claim  of  the 
physical  acts  being  done  by  a  given  intelligence  is  worthy 
of  the  most  impartial  invest iiration.  We  soon  learn  that 
we  must  dismiss  our  preconceptions  as  valueless  and  take 
up  the  subject  as  it  actually  exists  in  nature. 

It  is  impossible  to  accept  many  of  the  communica- 
tions as  coming  from  the  source  they  claim,  therefore  the 
chief  interest  in  the  matter  culminates  in  identity,  for 
without  the  proof  of  that,  it  cannot  be  determined  that 
these  intelligences  are  those  they  profess  to  be.  and  by  this 
much  tin1  hypothesis  of  converse  with  our  own  dead  fails 
in  an  Important  particular.  Besides,  such  proof  embraces 
the  whole  subject  and  makes  the  reality  of  the  physical 
nets  (.f  inferior  importance.  The  idea  of  spiritual  power 
has  Bprung  up  from  the  occult  nature  of  the  phenomena, 
their  ertion  and  the  fad  that  many  of  the  acts  are 


310  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

physical  impossibilities  to  living  beings.  The  identity  of 
the  intelligence  with  the  one  it  assumes  to  be  is  supported 
by  the  averment  of  the  intelligence  itself— by  its  expres- 
sions and  acts  of  affection — by  its  knowledge  of  matters  in 
your  history  and  in  its  own — by  the  correct  revelation  of 
a  matter  formerly  known  to  the  intelligence  claiming  to 
be  present — by  the  communications  in  sealed  slates  with 
names  appended — by  exact  descriptions  of  an  alleged 
presence,  with  the  act  it  is  about  to  do,  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  the  act  itself,  oftentimes  of  much  significance — or 
by  the  occurrence  of  some  physical  act  as  a  token  of  rec- 
ognition familiar  in  the  long  past.  These  remarkable  things 
frequently  occurring,  however  strong  their  logical  force,  are 
not  all  of  them  conclusive,  but  they  point  out  a  road  that 
reason  may  properly  follow  in  search  of  proof  or  disproof. 

The  correct  communications  we  receive  through  these 
occult  phenomena  claiming  to  be  from  our  dead  friends, 
relate  for  the  most  part  to  matters  within  our  own  personal 
knowledge,  in  fact,  touching  reminiscences  of  our  early 
days  and  the  friends  who  have  left  us.  But  we  must  not 
too  hastily  accept  as  evidence  of  spiritual  intercourse  re- 
vealments  which  may  be,  as  they  undoubtedly  sometimes 
are,  only  the  reflection  of  our  knowledge.  Even  when  the 
matter  is  unknown  to  us,  but  afterwards  proves  to  be  cor- 
rect, we  are  to  exercise  much  caution  in  receiving  it  as 
sure  proof  of  the  action  of  a  discarnate  spirit,  for  we  can 
easily  assure  ourselves  by  the  most  exact  experiment  that 
embodied  intelligence  takes  perception  of  thought  and  act 
at  great  distances.  We  know  so  little  of  the  extent  of  our 
own  inherent,  spiritual  faculties  that  we  easily  confound 
the  sources,  and  reason  from  a  dangerous  fallacy. 

Experiments,  however,  are  to  be  devised  more  or  less 
perfect,  free  from  these  objections  in  which  the  reveal- 
ment  can  only  be  within  the  knowledge  of  the  communicat- 
ing intelligence,  if  it  is  what  it  assumes  to  be,  and  cannot 
be  within  the  capacity  of  a  living  being,  subconscious  or 
otherwise. 

The  following  instances  are  attempts  to  ascertain  if 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  311 

the  intelligence  can  inform  us  correctly  of  matters  it  alone 
Can  know,  and  also  to  discover  if  a  spirit  presents  such 
an  objective  appearance  to  the  psychic,  as  to  be  the  object 
of  recognition,  at  a  subsequent  time,  through  her  cerebral 
memory. 

On  every  occasion  when  I  had  visited  Mrs.  Lord's 
seances,  at  intervals  sometimes  of  five  years,  an  intelli- 
gence, purported  to  be  present,  giving  the  same  name,  and 
preserved  not  only  the  same  tone  of  voice,  but  the  same 
manner  of  Bpeech  and  action.  I  procured  the  photograph 
of  the  person  whose  name  was  so  constantly  spoken,  and 
placed  it  with  several  others  of  the  same  sex  and  appar- 
ent age.  Attending  another  seance,  as  soon  as  the  light  was 
extinguished,  I  secretly  took  from  my  pocket  the  package 
of  photographs,  laid  it  on  my  knees,  and  when  the  intelli- 
gence announced  itself,  mentally  requested  it  to  pick  out  its 
own  likeness.  The  pictures  were  moved  about,  as  if  being 
examined,  and  one  of  them  was  held  up  touching  my  face, 
which  T  marked  No.  1.  Later  in  the  evening  I  made  the 
same  request  twice,  first,  however,  shuffling  the  photo- 
graphs,  and  marked  the  cards  held. up  2  and  3.  After  the 
i;as  was  Lighted,  I  found  the  same  card  had  been  marked 
1,  2,  3.  It  was  the  right  one,  and  each  time  it  had  been 
held  up  with  the  back  towards  me,  thus  escaping  any 
injury  from  my  pencil,  to  my  very  great  satisfaction.  The 
experiment    was  subsequently  repeated  with   like  success. 

The  most  cherished  negation  must  give  way  to  just 
methods  of  reasoning  on  the  facts  which  come  under  our  ob- 
servation, and  the  proof  of  whose  reality  is  easy  and  cer- 
tain. Tn  the  experiment  just  recorded,  I  could  not  know 
which  card  was  picked  up,  and  did  not  touch  il  except 
with  the  point  of  my  pencil,  excepting  when  T  mingled  it 
with  the  others,  after  it  was  laid  down  on  my  knees.  The 
medium  had  never  seen  the  original,  or  the  photograph, 
and  did  not  know  that  f  was  trying  an  experiment,  as  the 
requests  were  made  mentally.  The  room  was  entirely  dark. 
Here  all  possibility  of  human  knowledge  seems  to  be  elim- 
inated, and  the  result  is  uarrowed  down  to  an  intellig 


312  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

that  naturally  might  be  able  to  recognize  its  own  likeness, 
and  the  only  one  we  can  conceive  of,  that  could  have 
knowledge  or  power  to  do  so,  under  these  cirramstances. 

The  medium  having  stated  that  she  perfectly  remem- 
bered the  appearance  of  the  spirit  and  could  select  its  pho- 
tograph from  any  number,  I  placed  several  pictures  in  her 
hands,  and  stood  in  such  a  position,  that  whilst  viewing  her 
proceedings,  my  face  was  concealed.  She  discarded  the 
first  three  or  four,  and  without  looking  further,  and  in- 
deed refusing  to  do  so  when  urged,  gave  me  the  right 
photograph  of  the  presence  she  had  seen  and  described. 
Here,  a  picture  the  medium  had  never  seen  of  a  person  en- 
tirely unknown  to  her  was  identified  by  the  natural  eye- 
sight, through  its  resemblance  to  a  presence  seen  by 
spiritual  sight.  Only  one  conclusion  can  follow  these 
facts. 

Schenectady,  June  13,  1899. 

My  Dear  Maud:  This  is  the  first  time  I  have  been 
able  to  use  a  pen  in  many  a  month,  and  I  attribute  it  to 
some  influence  your  last  letter  brought  along  and  which 
escaped  into  my  corporation  when  opened.  Your  letter 
supplies  the  scientific  demand  that  there  should  be  no  man- 
ner of  suggestion  on  the  part  of  spectators.  There  was 
no  one  to  suggest  the  name  of  Duane,  as  you,  guided  by 
the  sound,  thought  it  was,  or  that  you  should  write  to  me  a 
description  of  the  evening's  experience.  It  all  happened  as 
naturally  as  possible.  The  maiden  name  of  Mrs.  Robert- 
son was  Duane.  My  middle  name  is  Duane,  and  we  are 
cousins.  The  Duane  who  appeared  at  the  seance  and  whose 
first  name  you  forgot,  was  also  a  cousin  of  mine,  and  the 
aunt  of  Mrs.  Robertson.  Your  story  holds  together  with- 
out a  missing  link,  and  is  most  interesting  from  the  multi- 
plicity of  characters  concerned.  The  particular  value  of 
this  seance,  however,  lies  in  the  complete  answer  it  fur- 
nished to  brain  waves  or  telepathy  advanced  by  science  in 
order  to  destroy  a  spirit  hypothesis. 

Beyond  doubt,  there  is  such  a  fact  as  telepathy,  but 
at  the  best  is  only  a  shadow  of  a  thought,  and  can't  play 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AN' I)     LIFE.  313 

on  a  fiddle.    If  a  fact  is  revealed,  as  is  often  the  case,  that 
no  embodied  intelligence  knows,  the  mind  that  reveals  it 

must  be  disembodied,  and  this  smashes  telepathy,  as  a  suf- 
ficient source,  into  smithereens. 

I  don't  remember  that  I  ever  said  or  wrote  anything 
to  you  about  my  house  at  Duanesburg,  which  you  de- 
scribe in  your  letter,  but  I  have  a  shanty  there  where  I 
go  for  the  summer  when  vacation  begins,  but  there  is  a 
melancholy  about  the  place  which  oppresses  me. 

THE   DESERTED   HOME. 

Those  old  red  chimneys,  still  they  shine 
Amid  the  trees  with  wonted  gleam, 

Where   nature's   plastic  hands   entwine 
And  lavish  charm  in  home's  sweet  dream. 

Glad  landmarks  once,  lone  mourners  now. 

O'er  broken  hopes  that  died  at  last, 
When  weary  heart  and  saddened  brow, 

Bade   farewell   to   the   buried   past. 

Home  of  my  heart!   what  memories  there 
Are  traced  upon  the  faded  walls, 

Or  tremble  on  the   lips  of  air 
That  lingers  in  the  lonely  halls. 

The  ruddy  flame  upon  the  hearth 
No  more  will  cast  the  old  time  rays, 

The   living  light   is   out  on   earth 
That  warmly  glowed   in  other  days. 

And  so  on.  It  is  so  long  since  I  wrote  it  that  I  have 
forgotten  it. 

I  would  not  be  surprised  if  Mrs.  Robertson  came  to 
see  you  again,  but  like  Xicodemns  she  will  come  quietly 
by  night  I  knew  her  well  forty  years  ago,  and  spirit 
rapping  would  not  have  frightened  her  off.  Now  that  she 
is  a  bishop's  widow  and  exposed  to  the  Christian  tongues 
of  her  associate  church  women  she  must  walk  gingerly. 

I  have  pushed  on  to  write  this  whilst  my  hand  was  on 
its  goctf  behavior,  but  it  threatens  to  go  on  a  strike  every 
moment.  Good-bye,  God  bless  you  and  yours,  as  prays 
your  friend  of  many  years  past,  and  for  many  years  to 
come— somewhere — . 

J.  D.  Featherstonehaugh. 


314  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

LAKE  PLEASANT  CAMP. 

The  history  of  Lake  Pleasant,  spiritual  camp  ground, 
near  Greenfield,  Mass.,  would  be  incomplete  with  Maud  E. 
Lord  left  out.  She  freely  gave  her  time,  her  talent  and 
her  wonderful  gifts  to  the  upbuilding  of  the  association. 
She  was  always  jealous  of  its  good  name.  She  was  among 
the  first  to  go  there,  when  there  were  only  a  few  cottages 
and  a  hotel  and  when  most  of  the  campers  lived  in  tents. 
She  built  a  cottage  on  the  bluff,  which  was  the  favorite 
resort  of  all.  Under  the  old  pines  that  stood  like  sentinels 
in  front  of  her  cottage  were  a  few  benches  which 
were  seldom  unoccupied.  When  men  of  science,  scholars, 
thinkers,  college  presidents  and  professors  came,  the  man- 
agers of  the  camp  always  knew  they  were  perfectly  safe 
in  directing  them  to  "Maud  E.  Lord's  cottage  on  the 
bluff."  They  knew  she  was  able  to  discuss  any  phase  of  the 
phenomena  with  them  on  their  own  grounds,  or  to  present 
the  philosophy  to  them  in  terms  and  in  a  manner  suitable 
to  their  positions;  and,  in  a  scholarly  way,  as  well  as  in  a 
clean,  moral  way  that  commanded  respect  from  all.  She 
treated  all  alike.  At  times  the  private  car  of  the  million- 
aire was  side-tracked  at  the  station,  while  the  owner  and 
his  company  attended  her  seances,  and  was  seated  side 
by  side  with  the  laborer  and  camp  attendants.  Hers  were 
royal  gifts  that  had  to  be  sought  to  be  received.  Here  she 
worked  early  and  late  during  the  entire  session  of  the  as- 
sociation, for  ten  or  more  years.  Sometimes  holding  two 
and  three  seances  a  day  to  accommodate  those  seeking  ad- 
mission. With  all  this  hard,  constant  work,  she  always 
found  time  to  attend  the  meetings  and  the  conferences  at 
the  auditorium  where  she  would  always  speak  and  give 
tests.  Going  and  coming  from  these  meetings  and  from 
her  meals  she  was  always  surrounded  by  crowds  to  whom 
she  was  always  giving  tests.  All  this  public  work  she 
freely  gave  for  the  benefit  of  the  camp.  They  all  recog- 
nized her  as  the  moving  spirit  in  their  meetings  and  the  one 
great  factor  in  the  association's  success. 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  315 

The  college  professors  at  Amherst  used  to  come  to  see 
her  and  so  marvelous  were  the  tests  she  gave  them  that  the 
old  president,  Dr.  Seeley,  came  with  some  articles  which 
he  had  brought  with  him  from  Japan  about  which  he 
knew  no  one  on  this  side  of  the  water  had  any  knowledge. 
He  was  a  grand,  old,  white-haired  man.  with  long,  white 
beard.  He  had  been  professor  in  the  same  institution  be- 
fore he  was  called  to  its  presidency  and  was  necessarily 
one  of  the  first  scholars  in  the  land. 

Psychometry  at  that  time  was  not  recognized  as  an 
established  science  as  it  is  now  and  the  genius  of  man  had 
not  counted  many  of  the  infinite  vibrations  of  nature,  nor 
measured  their  potentiality  as  now.  In  fact  very  few  of 
the  vibratic  laws  were  known  and  understood  as  now. 
PBychometry  opened  up  a  field  of  investigation  and  thought 
to  this  great  scholar  and  thinker,  and  he  eagerly  sought 
the  opportunity  to  study  it.  Mrs.  Lord,  as  she  always  did 
when  sought  by  the  earnest,  honest  investigator,  gave  him 
every  attention. 

When  he  left  he  said  as  he  passed  along  the  bluff  to- 
wards the  station.  "It  is  too  bad,  too  bad."  When  ques- 
tioned as  to  what  he  meant  he  replied,  "It  is  too  bad 
that  I  have  lived  so  long  and  know  so  little— too  bad  that 
1  have  not  known  these  things  before." 

This  great  scholar  recognized  the  possibilities  to  be 
achieved  in  the  study  and  knowledge  of  ethereal,  electric 
and  magnetic  lines.  Many  do  not  keep  themselves  morally 
clean  enough  to  grasp  spiritualism,  to  understand  its  phi- 
losophy which  to-day  has  spread  its  white  wings  over  all 
the  earth. 

She  was  always  a  painstaking  and  conscientious  work- 
er at  these  meetings  and  demonstrated  the  phenomena 
and  explained  the  philosophy  from  a  high  plane.  No  one 
ever  afeused  her  of  fraud  or  dishonesty  in  even  the  least 
little  particular.  She  conscientiously  performed  her  duty 
in  the  best  light  given  her.  In  doing  this  she  antagonized 
many  of  those  holding  extreme  and  radical  views.  She 
always   made  a  fight  for  a  clean  platform  and  for  high 


31G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

moral  teachings.     On  these  questions  she  drew  the  line 
sharply. 

When  that  insidious  foe  to  the  sacredness  of  all  homes, 
called  free-love,  showed  itself  in  the  midst  of  these  meet- 
ings, she  led  the  discussion  against  it.  She  sharply  defined 
the  issue  and  drew  the  line  so  there  could  be  no  middle 
ground,  no  dodging,  no  skulking  behind  silence.  Before  a 
large  audience  she  called  for  a  rising  vote,  demanding  that 
all  vote  their  sentiments.  She  demanded  that  the  losing 
party  take  their  departure  from  the  grounds,  as  morality 
and  licentiousness — spiritualism  and  free-loveism — honor 
and  dishonor — the  clean  and  the  unclean  could  not  dwell 
together  in  harmony.  No  glorious  spiritual  truth  can  be 
taught  from  a  platform  tainted  with  such  gross  material — 
home  destroying  influence.  Some  of  the  boldest  advo- 
cates of  that  pernicious  practice — a  practice  that  always 
has  and  always  will  bring  trouble  and  sorrow  to  its  advo- 
cates, somewhere  along  the  lines  of  their  lives,  as  sure  as 
effect  follows  cause — were  on  the  platform  when  she  de- 
manded this  vote.  They  hissed  their  venom  at  her,  and 
threatened  her  with  bodily  and  all  other  kinds  of  injury. 

She  had  been  the  standard  bearer  too  long  to  let  this 
glorious  spiritual  truth  trail  even  for  one  moment  in  the 
dust.  What  mattered  their  threats,  so  long  as  back  of  her 
marched  the  white-robed  visitants  from  that  bright  Ely- 
si  an  shore.  Thus  the  camp  was  cleansed  from  this  moral 
leprosy. 

Her  controls  were  important  factors  in  the  camp  and 
were  equally  as  well  known.  Hardly  ever  a  seance  held  in 
her  cottage  that  the  chairs  and  benches  on  the  porch  and 
under  the  pines  in  front  of  her  cottage  were  not  filled 
with  those  unable  to  gain  admittance  to  the  seance.  From 
these  seats  they  could  hear  all  that  was  said  inside  the 
cottage  and  everybody  at  the  camp  soon  learned  to  know 
and  recognize  Clarence's  voice.  About  1S90,  she  sold  her 
cottage  and  was  no  longer  a  regular  attendant  at  their 
summer  gatherings. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  317 

m  i:diums. 

Mediumship  is  that  quality— inherent  and  co-existent 
—  in  the  human  organism  by  which  the  excarnate  spirit 

communieates  its  intelligence  to  those  still  in  the  body. 
All  of  the  properties  of  this  quality  are  not  sufficiently 
known  and  understood  to  be  stated  in  scientific  terms.  It 
is,  however,  known  that  the  magnetic  aura— physical  mag- 
netism—a force  with  an  unknown  cause — is  the  combining 
and  basic  principle  used.  The  properties  of  this  quality 
are  as  diversified  as  individuals.  Tt  is  elsewhere  shown  that 
this  aura  is  modified  by  the  physical,  mental  and  moral 
attributes  of  the  person.  The  higher  in  the  scale  of  being 
the  person  the  more  refined  these  attributes.  The  stronger 
and  more  perfected  their  wills— in  other  words  the  more 
perfectly  developed  the  spiritual  faculties  or  senses,  if  we 
may  so  designate  them— the  cleaner  this  aura,  and  the  more 
amenable  it  is  to  such  spiritual  use. 

This  is  the  force  used  by  the  spirit  in  its  telepathic 
operations,  which,  for  convenience,  we  designate  as  impres- 
sion, inspiration  and  influence.  Where  is  the  person  who 
is  not  more  or  less  subject  to  these  conditions?  As  like 
attracts  like,  it  is  important  that  all  regulate  their  physical 
conditions,  their  mental  and  moral  operations,  their 
thoughts  and  actions,  in  other  words,  build  character  on 
high  and  perfected  lines.  This  is  the  force  by  which  the 
spirit,  by  and  with  the  consent  of  the  person  to  be  con- 
trolled and  the  co-operation  of  their  closest  disembodied 
attendant,  or  guardian  angel — and  every  living  person  has 
such  attendant— can  entrance  the  person  who  has  these 
qualities  sufficiently  and  properly  developed. 

There  are  many  fallacies  and  very  much  ignorance 
concerning    mediumship    and    its    effects,  among  writers 

and  people  with  limited  experience  in  such  matters.  In- 
stead of  collecting  reliable  data  upon*  which  to  form  an 
opinion,  they  have  recourse  to  a  large  class  of  commercial 
imitators,  and  accept  the  statements  of  those  who  cannot 


318  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

stand  the  searchlight  of  mediumship,  or  from  interested 
motives,  seek  to  condemn  it. 

Those  who  assert  that  spirit  control,  or  any  form  of 
mediumship,  is  destructive  of  individuality;  that  it  de- 
stroys the  will,  which  is  an  independent  and  essential  qual- 
ity of  spirit ;  that  it  is  subversive  of  self-control ;  that  it 
opens  the  door  to  all  kinds  of  evil  influences,  contrary  to 
the  greatest  spiritual  law,  "similis  similem  attrahit;"  that 
.it  depersonalizes  and  leads  to  immorality,  crime  and  in- 
sanity—such writers,  such  thinkers  have  studied  medium- 
ship  at  long  range,  looked  at  it  from,  a  very  limited  angle 
of  vision  and  have  very  little,  if  any  empirical  knowledge 
of  the  subject. 

This  applies  to  mediums,  not  to  those  who  pretend 
to  be  such,  or  to  those  imperfectly  developed,  but  to  those 
who  are  representatives  of  the  philosophy  and  phenomena, 
who  have  stood  prominently  before  the  public  in  such  ca- 
pacity for  thirty,  forty  and  fifty  years;  to  those  who 
have  dared  to  present  new  truths  in  the  face  of  ecclesias- 
tical condemnations  and  scientific  indifference. 

These  exponents  of  the  philosophy — all  of  whom  have 
acquired,  or  are  naturally  subjective  mediums — are  grand- 
ly individualized  with  distinctive  personalities,  strong  and 
perfected  wills  and  with  unusual  self-control.  They  are 
all,  without  any  exception,  healthy,  mentally  strong  and 
sane,  as  their  usefulness  during  so  many  years  fully  proves. 
That  their  characters  for  morality,  sobriety,  integrity  and 
devotion  to  their  families,  and  to  all  reformatory  and  hu- 
manitarian objects,  will  compare  favorably  with  those  in 
any  other  calling,  goes  without  saying.  The  immutable 
law  of  spirit,  from  which  spirit  cannot  deviate,  classes  the 
various  bands  of  these  mediums  in  the  same  category. 

These  conclusions  are  the  result  of  more  than  fifty 
years'  experience  of  those  who  have  been  closely  and  in- 
timately connected*  and  associated  with  mediums.  That 
subjective  mediumship  opens  the  way  for  evil  influences 
is  not  true.  From  the  very  nature  of  the  operation  it  can- 
not be  true.  Without  exception  the  utterances  of  the  spirits 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  319 

raring  t he  brain  of  the  medium  present  the  highest  ideals 
of  morality,  truth  and  justice,  and  must  leave  more  or  less 
of  this  quality  upon  the  medium's  consciousness  and  in  the 
brain  cells — all  of  which  goes  toward  building  and  sub- 
stantiating the  medium's  character  in  the  same  qualities. 
Attend  any  of  the  thousands  of  public,  spiritual  meet- 
ings and  home  gatherings,  held  every  week  all  over  the 
land,  where  mediums  are  thus  controlled,  and  find  a  single 
instance  where  anything  tending  towards  animalism,  im- 
morality, or  wrong  doing  is  even  suggested  by  these 
spirits. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


PSYCHOMETRY. 


Psychometry  demonstrates  that  all  force,  conscious 
and  unconscious,  individualized  or  combined,  in  whatever 
form  manifesting  itself,  is  recorded.  It  demonstrates  that 
everything  is  being  photographed  upon  matter  and  upon 
the  spiritual  universe.  When  the  psychometrist  invades  the 
ensphering  limits  of  any  object,  product  or  person,  these 
records,  these  photographs  pass  in  panoramic  view  before 
him  or  her.  According  to  their  spirituality,  or  the  develop- 
ment of  their  spiritual  faculties,  and  their  capacity  to  re- 
ceive and  fix,  for  the  moment,  these  records  and  pictures, 
they  can  delineate  the  minutest  acts,  thoughts  and  the 
varying  conditions  of  persons  and  objects.  Supplemented 
by  clairvoyance,  the  record  of  all  that  has  been  or  is  yet 
to  come,  can  be  read  from  God's  eternal  tablets— the  in- 
finite memory  of  creative  intelligence. 

On  one  of  the  statues  of  Isis  was  written  the  inscrip- 
tion :  "I  am  all  that  has  been,  or  that  shall  be;  no  mortal 
lias  hitherto  taken  off  my  veil." 

Isis  was  to  the  Egyptian  mind  the  mother  of  earth, 
or  the  veiled  Goddess  of  procreation  and  life.  Their  in- 
spired writers  became  materialists  and  none  could  lift  the 
veil,  hence  this  was  not  a  poetic  fancy,  but  a  logical  de- 
duction from  their  experience.  Psychometry  does,  how- 
ever, lift  the  veil.  It  reaches  both  ways— back  through  all 
the  past,  and  on  into  the  future.  It  is  memory  and  divina- 
tion.    It  is  eternity's  palimpsest  and  prophecy. 

Professor  Jos.  Rodes  Buchanan  was  among  the  first  to 
recognize  this  inherent  faculty  of  spirit  which  is  devel- 
oped by  certain  individuals  to  a  degree  that  enables  them 
to  eulnr  into  and  measure  "the  soul  of  things."    His  inves- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  321 

tigations  were  made  along  nil  lines.  Fragments  from  the 
homes  of  noted  historical   people,  ancient    and  .modern; 

articles  from  Rome,  Ninevah,  Greece,  China,  Central  Amer- 
ica-.  Alaska  and  the  Islands  of  the  Pacific.  All  these  were 
tested  with  surprising  results.  The  names  of  occupants  of 
buildings  were  given  and  their  condition  and  surround- 
ings minutely  delineated.  Pieces  of  bone  and  fragments 
of  the  teeth  of  antediluvian  animals  were  tested,  and  the 
animals  themselves  fully  described.  Many  of  these  results 
were  verified   by   reference  to  historical   records   and  by 

nal   experience. 

Th<  professor's  experiments  began  in  ls4'_\  while  he 
was  dean  of  a  medical  school  in  Louisville.  Kentucky,  and 
continued  for  more  than  fifty  years.  From  his  wide  range 
of  facts  he  formulated  his  theory  and  philosophy  which 
he  named  Psyehometry  (ps>jclic,  soul,  and  metron,  a  meas- 
ure  .  soul  measurement;  or,  psychomaney,  which  is  a  more 
appropriate  word  (psyche,  soul  and  mantcia.  divination), 
a  mental  and  spiritual  sympathy.  The  more  sympathetic 
the  person,  the  better  the  psychomanchist  he  or  she  is. 
Sympathy  and  harmony  of  vibration  is  the  common 
ground— "the  level"— on  which  all  can  meet  and  under- 
stand life's  forces  and  purposes.  Psyehometry  is  an  in- 
fallible science  and  sympathy  is  its  basic  and  irresistible 
force— the  daylight  between  this  and  the  next  life— the 
pathway  to  all  the  past.' 

The  psychometrizing  of  articles  or  jewelry  worn,  and 
letters  written,  every  influence  surrounding  the  owners  of 
th''  articles,  the  writers,  even  to  their  own  most  s 
thoughts  are  traced.  Pieces  of  wood  carry  with  them  all 
the  scenes  with  which  they  have  been  connected,  even  to 
a  description  of  persons  and  conditions.  Metal  and  rocks 
give  up  the  history  of  their  era  and  of  the  strata  in  which 
they  are  found,  their  process  of  Formation  and  their  primal 
elements.  All  these  mysteries  are  possible  to  the  spirit. 
possessing  in  a  large  degree  this  divine  light  called  sym- 
pathy, through  its  inherent  psychometric  faculty.  It  is  the 
onlv  faculty  by  which  nature's  Becrets  can  he  revealed.    It 


322  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

is  the  only  hand  that  can  lift  the  "Veil  of  Isis. ''  It  is  the 
spiritual  faculty  that  reveals  the  mysteries  of  creative  in- 
telligence to  human  eyes.  Be  not  ashamed  then  of  out- 
ward— or  of  any  manifestation  of  sympathy.  It  is  the 
radiant  energy  of  your  spirit.  Its  possession  and  exercise 
is  essential  to  the  development  of  this  one  grand,  independ- 
ent function  of  the  spirit,  which,  if  properly  exercised, 
is  the  key  to  all  success  on  earth.  It  is  the  key  of  admis- 
sion to  all  the  spheres  above,  and  to  the  inner  sanctuaries 
of  eternal  truth. 

Professor  Buchanan,  at  his  school  in  Boston,  where 
medical  students  were  instructed  in  this  science,  was  the 
first  to  apply  phychometry  to  the  diagnosing  of  disease, 
and  to  determining  the  effect  of  medicine  upon  people 
of  different  temperaments.  He  was  the  first  to  use  this 
power  to  determine  the  constituents  of  plants  and  herbs. 
His  wife  was  a  fine  psychometrist  and  aided  him  in  his 
researches. 

During  the  continuance  of  his  school  in  Boston  Mrs. 
Lord,  whom  he  recognized  and  claimed  to  be  the  ablest 
and  most  accurate  psychometrist  in  the  world,  frequently 
lectured  upon  this  science  and  illustrated  its  principles 
before  his  classes.  One  of  his  best  experiments  was  to 
take  twelve  bottles  of  medicine,  number  each,  soak  a  piece 
of  paper  in  each  and  number  them  to  correspond  with  the 
bottles,  and  then  remove  the  bottles  before  Mrs.  Lord  ar- 
rived. She  would  take  each  piece  of  paper  separately  and 
describe  the  effects  of  the  different  medicines. 

Her  psychometric  and  telepathic  experiments  in  diag- 
nosing were  accurate  and  far-reaching.  The  Professor  gave 
her  articles  handled  by  sick  people,  or  from  the  rooms  of 
such  people,  and  she  never  failed  to  correctly  diagnose  the 
disease.  And,  in  nearly  every  case,  she  designated  the 
cause  of  the  trouble,  which  sometimes  dated  back  to  the 
early  life  of  the  patient.  Where  the  Professor  or  the 
students  had  seen  the  patients  and  did  not  have  any 
articles  to  connect  her  with  them  or  their  thought,  she 
would  take  their  hand  and  tell  them  to  fix  their  mind 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  323 

intently  upon  such  patient.  She  would  then  proceed  to 
describe  the  person  and  give  a  complete  and  accurate  diag- 
nosis of  the  case.  Sometimes  she  would  name  the  result, 
in  the  recovery  or  death  of  the  patient,  even  to  naming 
the  hour  of  their  death,  thus  arriving  at  results  outside 
of  psychometry  or  telepathy,  even  beyond  the  completed 
record. 

This  occult  sense  or  faculty,  singly  or  in  connection 
with  other  spiritual  faculties,  is  well  illustrated  in  the 
location  of  mineral.  Some  ten  years  before  there  was  any 
thought  of  oil  wells  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  while  driv- 
ing over  those  parts  of  the  city,  where,  later,  several  hun- 
dred oil  wells  were  bored,  she  stopped  and  urged  her  hus- 
band to  buy  the  lots  and  small  cottages,  saying  that  some 
day  they  would  be  very  valuable;  that  oil  would  be  dis- 
covered there  in  large  and  paying  quantities. 

She  predicted  the  discovery  of  gas  and  oil  near  Santa 
Barbara,  especially  at  the  spiritual  camp  ground  at  Sum- 
merland.  then  owned  by  Mr.  Williams.  She  advised  him 
to  bore  for  gas  and  oil,  saying  that  the  oil-bearing  sands 
and  shale  extended  out  under  the  sea.  All  of  these  pre- 
dictions were  later  fully  verified. 

Some  years  before,  she  had  predicted  similar  dis- 
coveries at  Paola.  Kansas,  which  were  also  verified  to  the 
great  profit  of  a  few  of  the  citizens  who  had  faith  in  her 
interpretation  of  this  great  and  accurate  science  of  psy- 
chometry. The  science  is  accurate,  even  though  its  inter- 
pretation be  defective. 

SEEING   WITH   THE  BRAIN,  NOT  WITH  TOE  EYES. 

Professor  Buchanan  in  his  comments  upon  this  de- 
partment of  spiritual  science  says:  "Mental  and  psycho- 
logical  influence    thought  and  volition— imparted  to.  or 

expended  up<>n  anything  by  physical  contact  appears  to 
be   imperishable;"   and.   it   may   be   added,    is   imperishable 

if  expended  without  physical  eontact ;  even  spirit  is  appre- 
ciable to  this  soul   function. 


324  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Stepping  off  the  Santa  Fe  train  at  Kansas  City  one 
forenoon,  Mrs.  Drake  with  her  husband  and  daughter, 
went  into  the  Union  Depot  Hotel  for  dinner.  They  were 
given  a  double  room  at  the  end  of  the  hall.  Mrs.  Drake, 
while  waiting,  sat  in  a  large  rocking  chair.  She  said,  "I 
feel  just  as  though  I  was  blind.  I  am  rocking  in  this  chair, 
and  am  dictating  letters  to  my  daughter  in  that  other 
room.  I  am  feeling  around  the  room  with  my  cane  and 
sometimes  with  my  hands.  I  even  go  to  the  window  and 
seem,  from  the  sounds,  to  be  able  to  tell  the  different  kinds 
of  wagons  on  the  street,  and  also  feel  the  street  cars.  T 
feel  full  of  energy  and  my  ideas  of  business  seem  so  accu- 
rate. I  know  the  value  of  goods,  and  if  I  was  not  blind  I 
could  do  so  much. 

Passing  by  the  office  on  their  way  to  the  dining 
room,  Mr.  Drake  said  to  the  clerk,  "Walter,  who  last  oc- 
cupied the  room  you  gave  us  ? " 

"What  is  the  matter  with  the  room?  Is  it  not  in 
good  order?" 

"Oh,  yes,  the  room  is  all  right,  only  I  have  a  little 
curiosity  to  know  who  occupied  it  last.  I  wish  you  would 
look  it  up  and  tell  me  when  we  come  up  from  dinner." 

After  dinner  the  clerk  said.  "Mr.  Drake,  both  of  the 
rooms  you  have  were  last  occupied  by  Mr.  Harrison,  the 
blind  commercial  traveler,  and  his  .daughter,  who  always 
goes  with  him  to  make  out  his  orders  and  write  his  let- 
ters. He  is  one  of  the  hardest  workers  and  most  success- 
ful men  on  the  road,  even  if  he  is  blind.  He  is  a  strong, 
positive  character.     Why  did  you  want  to  know?" 

"I  will  explain  some  time  when  I  have  more  time," 
replied  Mr.  Drake. 

One  of  the  leading  legal  firms  at  Austin,  Texas, 
wrote  Mr.  Drake  inclosing  a  small  piece  of  checked 
gingham  about  an  inch  wide  and  three  inches  long,  and 
asked  him  to  write  what  Mrs.  Drake  got  from  it  psycho- 
metrically.  Placing  the  little  piece  of  gingham  to  her 
forehead,  she  said,  "I  see  a  field  covered  with  low  bushes. 
These  are  covered  with  little  white  bolls.    There  is  a  woman 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE. 

picking  these  white  things.  A  colored  man  is  slipping  up 
behind  her.  He  has  a  rock  in  a  cloth, — in  an  old  coat 
sleeve  tied  at  one  end.  Her  son-bonnet  prevents  her  see- 
ing him.  lit1  strikes  her— knocks  her  down.  She  falls 
—she  sees  him, — she  recognizes  him.  and  says  to  him, 
"Why  do  yon  want  to  kill  me?'  lie  strikes  again.  Now 
he  runs  away  towards  some  trees.     He  hides  the  old  coat 

re  and  the  rock.  Oh,  he  is  a  vicious  looking  negro, — 
not  very  black.     I  would  know  him  if  I  saw  him." 

Thus  was  described  a  brutal  murder  in  a  cotton  field 
near  Austin,  Texas.  A  year  or  two  later  Mrs.  Drake  ac- 
companied her  husband  to  Texas.  People  knowing  about 
this  psychometric  reading  brought  to  her  a  colored  man 
who  had  been  arrested,  tried  and  acquitted  for  this  mur- 
der. The  instant  she  looked  at  him  she  said,  "You  are 
the  one;  why  did  you  kill  that  poor  woman  in  the  cotton 
field?  Oh.  yes,  you  did;  you  struck  her  with  that  cruel 
rock,  and  I  can  show  you  where  you  hid  the  old  coat." 

He  was  badly  scared  and  left  her  presence  as  fast 
as  he  could.  He  had  had  his  day  in  a  Texas  court  and 
was  safe,— until  memory  calls  him  to  face  the  evidence 
in  the  book  of  life  which  the  angel  in  "Revelations" 
opens;  in  whose  living,  spiritual  light  is  written  the 
minutest  arts  of  our  lives.  The  church  of  the  future  will 
build  its  ereed  upon  this  fact  and  upon  the  far-reaching 
and  eternal   law  of  compensation. 

WM.    LLOYD  GARRISON   AND   DIO   LEWIS. 

These  two  Qames  are  too  well  known  to  need  intro- 
duction. They  were  both  thinkers  on  original  lines.  They 
both  sought  information  and  verification  of  their  theories 
at  a  spiritual  seance  held  by  Mrs.  Lord  in  Boston.  Dio 
Lewis  had  written  a  work,  which  was  then  in  the  original 
manuscript  and  had  not  at  that  time  been  out  of  his  pos- 

■  II.  Hi-  sought  information  from  the  spirit  side  of 
life  concerning  some  of  the  hygienic  theories  in  his  work. 
What  was  liis  surprise  when  she  not  only  answered  his 
questions,  but  told  him,  in  brief,  the  purpose  and  scope 


32G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

of  the  work,  enumerating  some  things  which  he  denied 
being  in  the  manuscript,  but  which  he  afterwards  found 
were  there. 

Being  given  a  book,  selected  at  random  by  these 
gentlemen,  of  which  they  themselves  did  not  know  the 
contents,  she  first  told  them,  without  looking  at  the  book, 
its  line  of  thought  and  purpose,  and  then  proceeded  to 
point  out  the  inconsistencies  and  fallacies,  and  to  com- 
mend its  virtues,  without  ever  having  seen  or  heard  of 
the  book  or  its  contents. 

MRS.    CORA    L.    V.    RICHMOND    ATTENDS    MRS.    LORD'S    SEANCE. 

The  spiritual  platform  m  this  and  all  other  countries 
has  never  been  honored,  or  graced  by  an  abler,  or  more 
'talented  exponent  of  its  philosophy  than  Mrs.  Cora  L. 
V.  Richmond  of  Chicago.  Her  controls  have  grasped  the 
higher  and  diviner  ethics  of  this  harmonial  philosophy. 
They  have  discussed  its  most  scientific  and  abstruse  ques- 
tions, and  with  a  matchless  command  of  language,  have 
appealed  to  the  intelligence  and  touched  the  hearts  of 
all  who  have  been  privileged  to  listen  to  her,  or  to  read 
her  lectures.  These  lectures,  if  compiled,  would  be  a 
veritable  Bible  for  the  millions  who  are  to-day  convinced 
of  the  continuity  of  life  and  know  something  of  the  con- 
ditions of  spirit  life,  and  the  laws  operative  in  this  life, 
under  which  man  can  have  a  fair  start  in  that  higher  life. 
Mrs.  Richmond's  position  in  Chicago  and  her  ability 
readily  made  her  a  judge  of  the  work  of  other  mediums. 

In  an  article  in  the  Banner  of  Light,  speaking  of 
Mrs.  Lord's  work  in  Chicago  in  1881,  Mrs.  Richmond 
says:  "Chicago  is  just  now,  and  has  been  for  some  time, 
the  center  of  an  earnest  revival  in  spiritualism.  The 
meetings  and  lectures  are  well  attended,  and  innumerable 
private  seances  in  different  parts  of  the  city  attest  an 
awakening. 

"Among  the  test  and  physical  manifestations,  the 
only  phases  that  can  satisfy  some  classes  of  minds, — in- 
deed, a  phase  that  nearly  every  mind  requires, — I  know 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  327 

of  no  one  better  adapted,  and  few  as  weD  qualified  to  act 
as  the  medium  for  communication  and  manifestation  than 
Mrs.  Maud  B.  Lord.  Her  work  in  Chicago  this  winter,  in 
private  seances,  has  been  most  wonderful.  I  do  not  know 
how  many  of  her  converts  will  staj,  but  out  of  the  two 
or  three  hundred  every  month  that  profess  conversion, 
I  am  sure  that  more  than  one-half  will  remain  true  to 
the  cause  of  immortality. 

"The  writer  of  this  was  privileged  to  be  one  of  fif- 
teen ladies  and  gentlemen,  who,  by  invitation,  attended 
one  of  her  private  seances.  The  seance  was  held  at  the 
house  of  a  prominent  spiritualist,  and  was  composed 
entirely  of  spiritualists.  There  were  some  half  a  dozen 
or  more  fully  developed  mediums  among  the  number. 
The  ordinary  mind  and  casual  observer  would  say  the 
conditions  on  this  occasion  ought  to  be  very  perfect.  But 
experience  has  shown  that  where  several  media  are  in  the 
seance  together,  their  various  spheres  or  aura  of  influence 
sometimes  neutralizes  one  another.  Besides,  mediums 
are  not  always  harmonious  (I  regret  to  say),  one  toward 
another.  There  are  trance  or  inspirational  mediums,  who 
deny  what  they  are  pleased  to  term,  the  low<  r  manifes- 
tations. There  are  test-mediums,  who  scoff  at  the  trance 
and  other  phases.  But  I  believe  that  all  who  were  pres- 
ent on  that  occasion  earnestly  desired  to  be  in  harmony 
with   the  occasion,   and   were,   so   far  as  they   knew. 

"Spiritualists,  ns  a  rule,  are  more  skeptical  than  other 
people.  And  the  writer  could  see  a  tendency,  on  the  part 
of  all  win  i  were  present, — mediums  and  all, — to  observe 
carefully  and.  perhaps,  even  critically,  whatever  might 
come.  Yet,  all  were  really  friends  to  the  fair  medium,  who 
so  kindly  tendered  her  gifts  for  the  evening. 

"The  spirit  seemingly  having  charge  of  the  Beance, 
was  a  son  of  our  host  and  hostess,— a  young  man  of  great 
promise,  who  passed  away  some  two  or  three  years  ago. 

"We  were  arranged  in  an  exact  circle,  at  equal  dis- 
tance from  each  other  fas  nearly  as  possible),  and  the 
left  hand  of  each  clasped  the  right  wrist  of  his  neighbor, 


328  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

thus  guarding  against  breaking  the  circle  or  any  aid  to 
the  manifestations  from  any  one  of  our  number,  yet 
leaving  the  fingers  and  palms  of  one  hand  free  for  the 
spirit  or  spirits  to  place  any  article  in  the  hand.  The 
medium  sat  in  the  center.  The  room  was  darkened,  and 
a  guitar  commenced  to  move  over  our  heads,  gently  touch- 
ing but  not  hurting.  The  medium  clapped  her  hands 
together,  at  regular  intervals,  so  we  could  hear  her,  and 
feel  sure  she  was  not  passing  the  instrument.  A  small 
music  box  was  played  and  passed  from  one  hand  to  another, 
the  spirit  hand  playing  on  it  and  passing  it  around. 
Voices,— notably  among  them,  the  voice  of  the  son  of  our 
host, — were  heard  in  many  parts  of  the  circle  at  once, 
the  medium  all  the  time  clapping  her  hands  and  talking 
in  another  part  of  the  circle ;  small  hands  and  large  hands 
passed  continually  and  touched  us,  accompanied  by 
voices:  'Mother!'  'My  child,  God  bless  you!'  'George 
is  here ! '  and  at  the  same  time  Mrs.  Lord  would  be  describ- 
ing accurately  some  spirit  friend  or  group  of  friends  to 
those  in  another  part  of  the  circle. 

"I  watched  and  listened  very  attentively,  and  at  one 
and  the  same  instant  of  time  I  could  hear  Mrs.  Lord's 
voice  describing  a  spirit,  her  hands  clapping  together,  the 
independent  voice  of  a  child  speaking  to  its  mother,  two 
or  three  other  spirit  voices  addressing  different  mem- 
bers of  the  circle,  and  the  guitar  played  upon,— all  this 
at  the  same  instant  of  time.  Spirit-lights  then  began  to 
appear.  Some  members  of  the  circle  saw  more  lights  than 
others,  and  they  were  often  at  the  feet,  or  on  the  laps  of 
some  one.  Several  faces  were  materialized,  but  all  could 
not  see  them  readily.  The  lights  accompanying  them  were 
distinctly  visible  to  all,  and  a  voice  (that  of  the  spirit), 
trying  to  materialize,  was  always  heard  near  the  lights. 

"Interspersed  with  all  personal  tests  and  voices  of 
spirit  friends,  who  gave  in  distinct  tones  and  sometimes 
in  whispers  the  words  to  the  one  they  wished  to  have 
recognize  them,  was  the  distinct  voice  of  the  happy  spirit- 
son   of  the  household,   who   seemed   to   rejoice   in   taking 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  329 

charge  of  so  wonderful  an  entertainment.  After  personal 
tests  had  been  given  to  all,  and  to  some  many  tests,  we 
wire  asked  to  sing,  and  a  deep,  manly  voice  joined  in 
the  singing  over  our  heads,  passing  around  the  entire 
circle,  but  pausing  most  frequently  and  longest  by  the 
father  and  mother. 

'"Here  a  funny  thing  transpired.     Prof. ,  who 

present,  has  an  Indian  control,  who  takes  forcible 
possession  of  his  vocal  organs,  but  leaves  his  mind  free 
to  think.  This  Indian  usually  talks  in  an  unknown  tongue, 
at  first  much  to  the  annoyance,  afterwards  to  the  bewilder- 
ment of  the  Professor,  who  was,  and  is,  a  member  of  the 
orthodox  church,  but  who  had  no  idea  that  'the  gift  of 
tongues'  could  belong  to  modern  times.  This  Indian  con- 
trol, apparently  having  a  perfect  understanding  with 
the  spirit  conducting  the  circle,  started  his  medium's  (the 
Professor's  voice  on  an  Indian  song  (if  that  it  might  be 
called).  It  rose  and  fell,  and  swayed  and  surged,  but 
did  not  sing.  Commencing  a  half  note  after,  and  follow- 
ing exactly  the  sound  of  the  Professor's  Indian  voice,  was 
another,  a  spirit  voice,  imitating  every  tone, — rising  when 
it  rose,  falling  when  it  fell,  and  in  every  respect  sound- 
ing exactly  like  an  echo  of  the  first  voice.  We  were 
amused,  astonished  and  electrified,  so  loud,  so  real,  were 
both  the  voices,  so  utterly  impossible  was  it  that  any  but 
the  young  spirit-son,  before  alluded  to,  who  was  an  excel- 
lent musician,  could  have  planned  and  carried  out  so 
wonderful  a  performance. 

"Then  came  what  I  consider  the  crowning  fact  of 
the  evening.  The  circle  sang  again,  and  this  time  the 
voice  of  the  spirit-son,  distinct  and  clear,  was  heard,  while 
another  voice,  a  tenor,  high  in  the  air,  was  also  heard. 
The  latter  was  recognized  by  a  lady  medium,  who  was 
present,  as  her  father's  voice.  These  two  spirit  v. 
Bang  through  the  whole  piece,  ami  the  lady  above  referred 
to.  felt  the  hand  of  her  father  upon  her  head  during  the 
whole  time,  the  voice  and  hands  of  the  medium  being 
distinctly    heard    elsewhere    in    the    circle.      'Oft    In    The 


330  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Stilly  Night,'  was  then  sung,  and  many  of  the  circle  heard 
a  quartette  of  male  voices  overhead,  while  all  distinctly 
heard  the  two  voices  before  referred  to. 

"I  will  not  mention  the  corroborative  evidence  that 
many  of  the  mediums  present  saw, — the  spirit  side  of  this 
wonderful  seance, — with  clairvoyant  vision,  fully  confirm- 
ing what  transpired.  Such  manifestations  are  their  own 
confirmation,  and  long  may  the  lovely  medium  be  spared, 
who  was  the  instrument  on  that  occasion  to  prove  that 
'There  is  no  death,'  and  may  the  blessings  of  both  worlds 
go  with  her  everywhere." 

The  seances,  to  which  Mrs.  Richmond  refers,  and 
where  the  son  of  the  host  and  hostess  seemingly  had  charge, 
was  held  at  the  home  of  Mr.  Collins  Eaton.  The  spirit- 
son  was  named  Crawford  Eaton.  This  young  man  had 
often  attended  Mrs.  Lord's  seances  and  sang  with  Clar- 
ence. He  was  a  beautiful  singer  and  Clarence  had,  at 
one  of  these  seances,  promised  him  that  when  he  came 
over  to  his  side  of  life,-  he  should  conduct  a  seance. 

At  this  seance,  the  medium's  father,  Mr.  Barrock, 
came,  and  calling  her  by  the  name  he  had  called  her  in 
childhood,  said:  "Kit,  I  am  dead.  Don't  be  afraid  of 
me.  I  died  at  nine  o'clock  this  evening.  Tell  mother  that 
I  am  gone."  The  mother  was  living  in  Chicago,  while  he, 
on  account  of  having  asthma,  was  living  in  Leadville, 
Colorado,  with  an  older  daughter.  She  went  home  and 
told  her  mother,  who  said :  ' '  That  cannot  be.  Since  you 
left  this  afternoon,  I  received  a  letter  stating  that  he  was 
much  better."  They  sent  a  telegram  to  ascertain  the 
fact  of  his  death.  A  message  was  received  in  Chicago, 
and  a  similar  message  was  received  by  the  oldest  daughter 
in  Quincy,  announcing  his  death.  It  may  seem  strange  to 
relate,  but  on  mentioning  the  receipt  of  these  messages, 
when  on  a  visit  to  Leadville,  the  members  of  the  family 
there  positively  denied  ever  sending  these  two  messages, 
as  they  knew  that  none  of  them  could  come  to  the  funeral. 
On  examination  at  the  telegraph  office,  it  was  ascertained 
that  no  such  messages  were  ever  sent,  and  yet  such  mes- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  331 

3  were  received  In  the  light  of  the  spiritual 
phenomena  of  the  present  day,  this  circumstance  will  not 
be  questioned.  It  is,  however,  a  fact.  Mr.  Barrock  had  to 
reach  his  death  hod  before  he  could  comprehend  the  great 
fact  that  was  demonstrated  to  him  nearly  all  of  his  life, 
so  strong  was  his  religions  prejudices. 

He  had  fallen  and  injured  one  of  his  legs  and  the 
doctors  told  him  it  would  have  to  be  amputated.  The 
doctors  had  assembled  at  his  bedside  for  that  purpose, 
when  a  message  was  brought  to  the  house  from  Mrs.  Lord, 
telling  him  not  to  have  it  done.  If  he  did.  he  would 
die  during  the  operation.  She  had  written  him  only  a 
few  days  before,  telling  him  that  his  time  was  very  short. 

When  he  was  brought  home,  with  his  leg  injured, 
he  had  the  letter  in  his  pocket  unopened.  When  it  was 
read  to  him,  the  tears  came  into  his  eyes  and  he  said : 
"She  is  right.     I  shall  never  get  off  this  bed." 

While  confined  to  his  bed  he  saw  a  little  neighbor 
hoy  at  his  bedside,  and  said  to  his  daughter:  "Why 
don't  you  give  Willie  a  chair?"  His  daughter,  thinking 
he  was  a  little  flighty,  and  to  pacify  him,  said:  "Willie, 
you  can  take  that  chair."  The  boy  had  died  after  Mr. 
Barrock  had  been  confined  to  his  bed.  Very  soon  he 
turned  to  his  daughter  and  asked  her  why  she  had  not  told 
him    Willie    was    dead. 

Just  before  he  died',  he  saw  his  father  and  mother, 
and  others,  long  Bince  dead,  and  said:  "I  am  so  sorry 
I  ever  made  life  so  hard  for  Maud.  Write  and  tell  her 
I  am  sorry,  and  that  I  ask  her  to  forgive  me.  I  now 
know  it  is  all  true.  How  much  better  it  would  have  been 
for  me  had  I  realized  all  this  long,  long  ago.  She  was 
always  right."  Thus,  in  the  wreck  of  lost  opportunities 
ended  what  might  have  been  a  brilliant  and  useful  life. 

TWO    STRANGE    STORIES. 

Louise  Chandler  Moulton,  than  whom  no  writer  is 
better  or  more  favorably  known,  published  in  the  Arena, 
two  experiences   with   Mrs.  Lord.     The  incidents  related 


332  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

cannot  be  explained  upon  any  other  than  the  spiritual 
hypothesis.     She  said: 

"Both  incidents  date  back  at  least  a  dozen  years. 
My  friend  lives  in  Whitinsville,  Mass.,  and  he  had  been 
invited  to  the  house  of  an  acquaintance,  in  the  neigh- 
boring town  of  Uxbridge,  for  a  spiritualistic  seance  at 
which  Maud  E.  Lord  was  to  be  the  medium. 

"On  the  afternoon  of  the  appointed  day,  a  friend 
from  Providence  arrived  unexpectedly,  and  there  was 
nothing  for  him  to  do  but  take  this  unforeseen  guest  along 
to  Uxbridge.  It  caused  some  delay,  and  the  seance  had 
already  begun  when  they  arrived,  and  the  man  from 
Providence  was  not  introduced,  even  to  the  host  of  the 
evening.  He  was  an  entire  stranger  to  every  one  in  the 
room. 

"Very  soon,  however,  the  medium  turned  to  him,  and 
said :  '  If  you  please,  sir,  Sarah  wants  to  speak  with  you. ' 
The  Providence  young  man  made  no  response,  and  the 
medium  turned  her  attention  to  some  one  else.  Again 
she  turned  back  to  him,  later  on,  and  said,  as  before : 
'Sarah  wants  to  speak  to  you,'  and  again  he  made  no 
response.  Finally,  just  as  the  seance  was  nearly  over, 
she  turned  to  him  a  third  time,  and  said:  'Sarah  wants 
very  much  to  speak  to  you.  She  says  her  name  is  Sarah 
Thornton  Deane — D.  e  an  e,'  spelling  out  the  last  name, 
letter  by  letter.  Still  the  Providence  man  made  no  reply. 
After  they  had  left  the  house,  he  said,  to  my  friend : 
'What  rubbish  it  all  is.  Why,  I  never  knew  any  Sarah 
Thornton   Deane   in   my   life.' 

"But  he  chanced,  some  weeks  later,  on  an  impulse 
of  idle  curiosity,  to  ask  an  aunt  of  his  if  she  had  ever 
heard  of  a  Sarah  Thornton  Deane.  'Yes,  indeed,'  was  her 
answer;  'but  she's  dead,  long  ago.  She  lived  with  your 
mother  three  years — one  year  before  you  were  born  and 
two  afterwards.  She  took  care  of  you  those  two  years, 
and  she  just  set  her  life  by  you.' 

"  'And  did  she  call  herself  Sarah  Thornton  Deane  — 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  333 

all   three   names  1     An<l   was   the   Deane   Bpelled   with   a 

final  e!' 

"  'Yes,  she  always  put  the  Thornton  in,  and  she 
spelled  the  Deane  with  an  e.  But  what  set  you  to  ask- 
ing about  her.'  She's  been  dead  years  and  years,  and 
I  doubt  if  you  ever  saw  her  after  you  were  three  or  four 
years   old.' 

"  'Yes.  but  I  ehaneed  to  hear  her  name,'  said  the 
Providence  young  man;  and  he  began  to  think  that  per- 
haps  it  was  not  all   a   fraud. 

"The  second  of  my  stories  seems  to  me,  perhaps,  the 
strangest  of  all.  It  was  of  a  seance  at  which  my  Whitins- 
ville  friend  was  present,  in  company  with  a  brother  of 
his.  now  dead.  Mrs.  Lord  was  a  stranger  to  both  young 
men,  but  she  insisted  on  talking  to  my  friend's  brother. 
There  was  a  strange,  intense  excitement  in  her  manner. 
She  gave  no  name,  but  she  told  him  that  a  friend  of  his, 
very  dear  to  him.  but  very,  very  far  away  in  the  West, 
was  at  that  moment  suffering  terribly.  'I  see  blood, 
blood, '  she  cried ;  '  Oh,  so  much  blood ! ' 

"Then,  as  he  said  nothing,  she  turned  away  and 
devoted  the  rest  of  her  hour  to  more  responsive  subjects. 
But  .just  at  the  last,  she  turned  again  to  my  friend's  brother 
and  said,  with  a  sort  of  triumphant  earnestness:  'Ah,  he 
does   not  suffer   now;   he's   dead— dead!' 

"And  the  strange  thing  was,  that  in  the  course  of  time, 
came  the  explanation  of  it  all.  in  the  tragic  story  of  the 
death  of  a  yonng  man.  who  had  been  the  closest  friend  of 
my  friend's  brother.  He  lived  on  a  cattle  ranch  in  the 
far  West.  Some  desperadoes  had  stolen  his  cattle.  He 
went  in  pursuit  of  them,  and  was  overtaken  by  a  terrible 
blizzard.  He  tried  to  cut  some  wood  to  build  a  fire,  but 
somehow  the  axe  slipped  in  his  benumbed  fingers,  and 
cut  ilet'p  into  his  knee-pan.  He  bandaged  it  as  well  as 
he  could,  and  struggled  to  make  his  way  to  the  n< 
settlement  Just  as  lie  had  almosl  reached  it.  the  band- 
•  undone,  the  blood  burst  forth  again,  and  what 

with  stress  of  weather  and  pain,  and  terrible  loss  of  blood. 


334  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

he  died  that  very  afternoon.  As  nearly  as  the  difference 
in  time  could  be  computed,  he  was  in  his  final  agony  when 
the  medium  spoke  of  him  first.  He  was,  as  she  said,  already 
dead  before  the  end  of  her  seance. 

"  'And  all  this  does  not  make  you  believe  in  spirit- 
ualism?' I  asked,  as  my  friend  concluded  his  story. 

"  'I  am  convinced,'  he  answered,  with  the  skeptical 
smile  of  the  fin  de  siecle  young  man,  'that  there  are  a 
great  many  things  in  this  world  which  we  are  not  able,  as 
yet,  satisfactorily  to  explain.' 

"I  will  vouch  for  the  truthfulness  of  every  detail  of 
these  two  stories." 

BOSTON'S    COMPLIMENT    TO    MRS.    LORD. 

Mrs.  Lord's  departure  from  Boston  was  not  much 
like  her  first  introduction  to  that  city,  an  unknown,  friend- 
less and  almost  penniless  stranger.  Other  places  were 
now  demanding  her  presence.  The  people  of  Boston,  with 
whom  she  had  so  successfully  worked,  took  the  occasion  of 
her  departure  for  Denver  to  testify  their  appreciation  of 
her  work  and  of  her  as  a  woman  and  as  the  representa- 
tive of  new  thought,  by  giving  her  a  farewell  testimonial. 

September  22nd,  1883,  fifteen  hundred  of  Boston's 
representative  people  assembled  in  Tremont  Hall— the  larg- 
est hall  in  the  city— to  bid  her  "Good-bye  and  God  speed" 
to  newer  fields  and  possibly  greater  works.  Much  had  been 
crowded  into  her  short  life  of-  thirty-one  years,— short 
when  measured  by  years,  but  long  when  measured  by  the 
difficult  way  over  which  she  had  come  through  ignorance, 
prejudice,  religious  persecution,  the  unreasonable  demands 
of  skepticism  and  the  indifference  of  science. 

The  hall  was  beautifully  decorated;  Mrs.  Kettel  pre- 
sided at  the  grand  organ,  and  Mr.  W.  W.  Clayton  called 
the  large  audience  to  order.  The  Tremont  Temple  Quartet 
sang  that  beautiful  song  entitled:  "We  Shall  Know 
Each  Other  Better,  When  The  Mists  Have  Cleared  Away." 

Dr.  Emily  P.  Pike  invoked  a  blessing,  wherein  she 
took  occasion  to  give  thanks  for  the  divine  spirit  of  sym- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  335 

pathy  and  affection  that  prompted  so  many  to  extend, 
by  their  presence,  the  hand  of  deathless  friendship  to  the 
worker  about  to  go  from  them,— she  who  had,  from  her 
earliest  childhood,  been  called  to  labor  in  widely  spread 
divisions  of  the  Vineyard  of  Truth  for  the  demonstra- 
tion of  the  immortal  nature  of  the  human  soul. 

Professor  Clayton  stated  that  the  meeting  was 
intended  as  a  tribute  of  respect  to  one  whom  all  sincerely 
loved,  both  as  an  indefatigable  worker,  and  because  of  her 
excellent  character  as  a  woman;  that  the  meeting,— as  was 
intended.— would  be  informal,  consisting  of  short  speeches 
by  friends. 

Mr.  Eben  Cobb,  the  first  speaker,  bore  witness  to  the 
deep  interest  always  displayed  by  Mrs.  Lord  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  benefit  of  the  cause  to  which  her  life 
had  been  so  truly  devoted;  to  the  self-sacrificing  spirit 
she  had  always  manifested;  to  the  work  she  had 
accomplished  all  over  the  land,  from  the  prairies  and 
mining  lands  of  the  West  to  the  extreme  seaboard  of  New 
England.  He  considered  it  a  grand  triumph  to  the 
spiritual  philosophy  and  phenomena,  that  such  a  congre- 
gation,—representing,  as  it  did,  many  shades  of  religious 
belief  among  its  members.— could  be  convened  in  snch  a 
place  as  Tremont  Temple  to  bid  farewell  and  Godspeed 
to  a  spirit  medium.  He  wished  Mrs.  Lord  success  in  her 
future  labors,  wherever  they  might  be  performed,  until 
the  hour  when  the  gentle  angel  Death  should  call  her  from 
mortal  scenes  to  wider  opportunities  for  doing  good  in 
the  Land  of  souls. 

Mrs.  E.  L.  Fuller,  of  the  Congregational  Church, 
Charlestown  District,  favored  the  audience  with  a  choice 
solo.  "Ave  Maria"  (By  H.  Millard). 

The  talented  and  eloquent  John  Wetherbee  followed. 
Be  thanked  God  that  mediums,  and  especially  Mrs.  Lord, 
had  been  given  the  courage  which  enabled  them  to  stand 
up  in  the  face  of  a  bigoted  public  opinion  and  speak  tin.' 
truths  given  them,  leaving  the  results  fearlessly  in  the 
hands  of  the  power  from  which  these  truths  were  received. 


33G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

He  referred  to  the  feeling  which  came  upon  him  when 
speaking  in  spiritualist  assemblies;  that  he  was  addressing 
a  larger  audience  than  those  who  are  seen,  those  living 
in  the  form;  that  he  was  addressing  those  living,  called 
the  dead,  those  who  will  live  through  countless  ages.  He 
regarded  the  mediums  of  the  present  day  as  the  vestal 
virgins  who  kept  alive  the  sacred  fire  upon  the  altars  of 
a  new  order  of  thought! 

Dr.  Lynn  followed:  "The  present  occasion,"  he  said, 
"is  fraught  with  the  lesson  which  the  angels  sang  on  the 
Judean  Plains:  'Peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men,'  which 
had  been  the  burden  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus,  and  was  the 
burden  of  the  gospel  of  spiritualism  to-day.  Referring 
to  various  important  eras  in  the  world's  history,  he 
remarked  that  the  one  now  in  progress  was  characterized 
by  a  general  opening  of  the  spirit-world,  and  could  right- 
fully be  denominated  as  the  second  coming  of  the  Christ- 
spirit  on  earth.  Spiritualism  entertained  no  antagonism 
to  truth,  wherever  found,  whether  in  the  Christian,  or 
any  other  of  the  twenty-seven  Bibles  known  to  man;  any 
truth  would  find  a  hospitable  welcome  at  the  hands  of 
the  new  dispensation." 

The  speaker  held  that  those  in  the  church  who  recog- 
nized the  spiritualism  of  the  past,  as  recorded  so  fully  in 
the  Bible  narratives,  and  refused  to  acknowledge  the  spirit- 
ualism of  to-day  which  was  present  with  them,  and  those 
others  among  the  spiritualists  who  recognized  the  angelic 
ministrations  of  the  present  hour,  but  refused  to  give 
credence  or  importance  to  evidence  of  the  Bible  regarding 
the  spiritualism  of  the  past,  were  equally  in  error.  The 
inspiration  that  was  given  to  the  Apostles  still  lived  and 
worked  in  the  world  to-day,  and  Christian  ministers  who 
are  wondering  at  the  diminished  power  of  the  church 
among  men,  would  find  the  explanation  of  the  difficulty 
in  that  church's  refusal  to  accept  or  comprehend  this 
grand  lesson  of  the  age.  He  concluded  with  an  expression 
of  good  wishes  to  Mrs.  Lord,  as  one  of  those,  through 
whom,  in  modern  days,  the  power  of  inspiration  worked 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  337 

for  the  benefit  of  humanity,  and  hade  her  "be  steadfast 

to  the  Light  of  heaven"  which  she  in  so  unstinted  a  meas- 
ure had  received. 

Mrs.  Handy  was  then  introduced  to  the  audience. 
Coming  forward  upon  the  platform,  and  approaching  Mrs. 
Lord,  as  she  sat  on  the  right  of  the  reading  stand,  she 
said  she  was  filled  with  emotions  of  gratitude  to  the 
medium  for  what  she  had  done  to  cheer  her  in  her  hours 
of  sadness.  She  said  she  had  never  spoken  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  audience  before,  but  felt  it  her  solemn  duty 
to  do  so  on  the  presenl  a,  though  she  was  noi  a 

spiritualist.  Mrs.  Lord  was  a  stranger  to  her,  but  through 
her  wonderful  gifts  she  had  afforded  her  the  conviction 
that  her  departed  father,  mother,  brothers  and  sister,  were 
still  alive  in  the  great  hereafter,  and  were  able  to  make 
their  presence  known  to  her  in  a  characteristic  manner. 
She  had  been  convinced  by  this  wonderful  medium,  by 
the  giving  of  names,  incidents,  and  other  rare  phenomena, 
that  the  dear  ones  she  supposed  were  dead,  were  still  liv- 
ing in  light  and  glory. 

Mr.  Cobb  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  lady 
who  had  just  spoken,  though  a  devout,  sincere  and  earnest 
Catholic,  had  felt  moved  upon  (while  still  holding  to  her 
theological  views),  to  present  her  public  acknowledgements 
to  Mrs.  Lord,  and  pointed  to  the  act  as  another  instance 
of  the  practical  recognition  of  the  truth,  now  so  impres- 
sively emphasized  in  this  modern  day,  that  behind  all  creeds 
and  doctrines  of  all  churches,  the  universal  Spirit  of  Life 
was   working   upon   human   hearts. 

Professor  Clayton  read  the  following  telegram: 

•  ■  New  York,  Sept.  22hd,  1883. 
Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord,  Tremont  Temple,  Boston: 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benry  -I.  Newton  desire  to  unite  with 
the  Boston  friends  to-day  in  expressing  to  you  their  appre- 
ciation of  your  earnest  work  in  the  cause  of  Spiritualism." 

Professor  Clayton  then  introduced  Mrs.  Lord.  In 
commencing  her  remarks,  she  said  that  her  heart  was  too 


338  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

full  of  happiness  to  allow  the  freedom  of  utterance  on 
her  part  which  was  due  the  assembled  friends.  It  seemed 
to  her.  that  the  God  of  heaven  had  given  this  charming 
September  day  on  which  to  hold  this  meeting.  And  the 
warm  light  of  sympathetic  friendship,  which  was  visible 
on  every  countenance  in  the  hall,  was  a  reflex  of  the 
golden  splendor  without.  She  would  say  to  each  and  all: 
"God  bless  you,"  but  the  full  burden  of  her  gratitude 
must  remain  unuttered. 

She  was  about  to  go  forth  to  the  mountains,  where  a 
mother  awaited  her  coming;  but  she  wished  it  understood, 
in  justice  to  dear  friends  in  this  city,  that  while  she  was 
leaving  her  beautiful  Boston  home,  which  had  been  taken 
from  her  by  a  supposed  friend  and  pretended  spiritual- 
ist, she  was  leaving  in  obedience  to  the  pressure  which  had 
been  continuously  brought  to  bear  upon  her  for  some  time 
past  by  her  spirit  guides, — who  were  trusted  by  her  in 
all  things, — who  told  her  that  it  was  not  her  destiny  to 
settle  in  any  fixed  abiding  place,  but  that  it  was  her  duty 
to  go  out  again  into  the  field  of  labor,  up  and  down  the 
land,  wherever  her  services  were  required  by  an  inquir- 
ing people. 

She  referred  to  the  great  changes  during  the  past 
quarter  of  a  century,  both  in  the  world's  thought  concern- 
ing  death  and  the  after-life,  and  also  in  her  own  condition. 
She,  having  struggled  up  through  life  from  a  friendless, 
poor  and  heartbroken  child,  having  been  looked  upon  as 
haunted  by  demons,  finally  came  to  be  so  blessed  as  to 
receive  in  this  great  city  the  friendly  expressions  of  such 
a  splendid  audience,  now  convened  in  such  a  grand  place 
of  assembly.  She  said  that  while  the  manifestations  of 
spirit  power  had,  in  former  dajrs,  been  misunderstood  and 
traduced, — not  even  understood  by  herself,— this  vast 
assembly  is  adequate  proof  of  the  personal  and  profes- 
sional appreciation  of  the  spiritual  visitants. 

She  testified  gratefully  to  what  her  spirit  friends  had 
done  for  her  in  all  the  marked  crisis  of  her  life.  She  said 
that  all  their  prophecies  to  her,   as  to  what  she  was  to 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  339 

perform,  had  been  fulfilled  to  this  hour.  She  remembered 
that,  iu  the  audience  were  some  who  had  not  yet  seen 
their  way  clearly  to  accept  the  light  which  was  shining 
upon  the  pathway  of  mortals  to-day.  But  why  should 
the  Christian  church  deny  the  possibility  of  present  inspir- 
ation? Thoilgh  human  tongues  fall  out  of  speech,  would 
immortal  love  send  back  no  echo  across  the  waves  of  death? 
Could  He,  who  promised  the  full  harvest,  forget  the  weep- 
ing sower.'  If  such  a  bridge  as  that  at  Brooklyn  could  be 
reared  by  feeble  human  means  across  the  pulsing  tides, 
could  not  angel  minds  plan,  and  spirit  workers  build,  a 
bridge  of  communion  over  the  soundless  waters  of  death? 
Spiritualism  came  to  take  away  no  man's  faith,  but  to 
give  knowledge  to  each  and  all, — to  make  assurance  doubly 
sine,  that  the  course  of  human  life  is  an  upward  one,  and 
the  chain  of  being  stretches  through  an  eternity  of  progress. 

Airs.  Lord  spoke  retrospectively  of  the  satisfaction 
which  had  attended  her  labors  in  the  West— instancing 
her  pleasant  experiences  in  Leadville,  Colorado,  as  an 
example  of  the  kindness  which  had  been  shown  her  where- 
ever  she  had  been.  She  proclaimed  her  purpose  to  render 
whatever  service  she  could,  in  the  future  as  she  had  in 
the  past,  to  support  the  cause  of  Spiritualism,  so  near  and 
dear  to  her  heart.  She  prized  her  mediumship  above  all 
earthly  things.  She  had  rather  be  a  spiritual  medium 
than  a  queen  and  she  should  strive  in  her  humble  way  to 
remain  worthy  of  this  great  gift  by  the  continued  and  inde- 
fatigable discharge  of  the  duties  laid  upon  her  by  its 
possession. 

She  referred  to  what  Theodore  Parker  had  remarked 
in  regard  to  spiritualism,  as  it  appeared  to  him  in  its 
early  days,  and  to  what  the  brave  poet-preacher  John 
Pierponl  had  s.-iid  and  done  for  the  cause  in  the  closing 
yens  of  his  life. -  encouraging  others  by  his  example  to 
break  the  chains  of  the  past  upon  the  glowing  anvil  of 
the  holy  present,  and  proclaiming  to  them  that  spirit- 
ualism, through  its  works,  "was  wide  as  the  universe,  as 
broad  as  the  wisdom,  and  as  comprehensive  as  love." 


240  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

She  closed  by  a  renewal  of  thanks  for  the  present 
assembly,  and  the  expression  of  the  hope  that  all  would 
meet  many  times  on  earth,  before  experiencing  the  change 
which  brought  on  the  sure  reunion  in  the  land  of  souls 
which  spiritualism  had  demonstrated  to  the  nineteenth 
century. 

The  quartette  then  joined  in  the  song  "Farewell." 

THE   SEYBEKT    COMMISSION. 

Very  much  was  expected  from  this  commission, 
appointed  to  make  a  scientific  investigation  of  the  phe- 
nomena of  spiritualism.  The  result  was  a  disappointment 
to  all  classes.  Scientists  were  disappointed  at  the  lack  of 
scientific  methods  employed, — the  illogical  conclusions  of 
the  commission,  and  the  frivolous  actions  of  some  of  its 
members.  Spiritualists  were  disgusted  at  the  manifest 
insincerity  of  the  members  of  the  commission,  and  the 
flippant,  foolish  methods  employed.  The  members  of  the 
commission  Avere  respectable  people  as  the  world  goes, 
especially  the  acting  chairman,  Mr.  Horace  Howard  Fur- 
ness,  who  was  a  scholar  and  a  perfect  type  of  tbe  nT.d 
sehooi  gentleman.  Much  was  expected  from  them  by  rea- 
son of  his  connection  with  the  commission.  Very  early  in 
their  investigations  it  became  evident  to  those  conversant 
with  their  methods  and  actions,  that  they  were  spend- 
ing the  money  left  for  this  work  with  the  idea,  if  they  had 
any  idea  outside  of  having  a  good  time,  to  prove  the 
claims  of  spiritualism  false — to  prove  a  negative  prop- 
osition. 

Mrs.  Lord  received  the  following  letter : 

"222  West  Washington  Square. 
Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord. 

Dear  Madam:  Can  you  conveniently  designate  a  day 
and  hour  when  I  can  have  the  honor  of  waiting  on  you  1  I 
am  desirous  of  seeing  you  in  the  interest  of  the  Seybert 
Commission.    Mr.  John  C.  Bundy,  of'  Chicago,  has  kindly 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  341 

permitted  me  to  use  his  name  in  urging  you  to  give  a 
favorable  consideration  to  the  request  of  the  commission 
that  they  be  permitted  to  observe  and  investigate  the 
remarkable  manifestations  of  spiritual  power  revealed 
through  your  mediumship.  He  has  authorized  me  to  Bay 
for  him  that  he  feels  great  interest  in  having  you  lend 
your  assistance  to  this  commission;  and  that  you  are  one 
of  the  few  whom  he  has  felt  justified  in  thus  commending. 
It  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  go  to  Boston  for  a 
persona]  interview  when  all  due  arrangements  can  be  made 
more  conveniently  and  explicitly  than  by  letter. 

We  know  that  we  are  asking  much,  but  we  are 
encouraged  by  the  belief,  inspired  by  Mr.  Bundy,  that, 
like  ourselves,  you  are  seeking  light  on  a  subject  which 
bids  fair  to  be  almost  inexhaustible. 

I  remain,  dear  madam, 

Very  respectfully, 

Horace  Howard  Furness. 

Acting  Chairman,  Seybert  Investigating  Commission. 
30  November,  1884." 

Mrs.  Lord  complied  with  this  request,  supposing  they 
were  earnestly  trying  to  scientifically  solve  the  great  prob- 
lem that  means  so  much  to  the  race.  She  went  to  Phila- 
delphia, at  their  request,  to  hold  a  seance  for  their  special 
benefit.  She  waited  nearly  a  week  before  they  could 
find  time  to  attend.  Finally,  an  evening  was  appointed 
and  they  came  to  the  magnificent  home  of  Mr.  Furness, 
222  West  Washington  Square,  where  the  seance  was  to 
be  held.  They  came  as  scientists,  investigating  an  impor- 
tant question.  They  came  dressed  for  an  evening  party 
and  could  only  remain  a  short  time.  The  circle  was  formed. 
These  scientists  (?)  commenced  by  violating  every  con- 
dition necessary  for  the  production  of  the  phenomena. 
Knowing  that  the  scholarly  and  gentlemanly  chairman 
was  quite  deaf,  they  Laughed  and  talked  and  snickered 
at  everything.  They  were  requested  by  Mrs.  Lord  to  treat 
th<-  occasion  seriously,  as  becoming  men  acting  in  a  public 


342  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

capacity,  with  the  whole  country  awaiting  their  conclusion. 
Even  when  thus  requested,  they  were  not  gentlemen  enough 
to  comply  with  the  necessary  conditions.  Mrs.  Lord  was 
obliged  to  break  up  the  seance.  They  feared  she  would 
give  some  explanation  to  Mr.  Furness  and  begged  her  to 
renew  the  seance.  This  she  did.  They  received  touches, 
descriptions,  saw  lights  and  heard  voices,  which  they 
recognized.  In  less  than  an  hour,  these  scientists  (?),  in 
their  gloves  and  evening  dress,  left  for  the  party,  where 
their  great  talents  could  have  full  play.  Less  than  an 
hour's  investigation  was  all  they  required  to  pronounce 
on  a  question  that  had  engaged  the  prof oundest  minds  of 
the  age.  They  consumed  a  week  of  Mrs.  Lord's  time,  for 
which  she  refused  all  compensation.  Mr.  Furness,  the  chair- 
man, however,  treated  her,  as  all  thorough  gentlemen  always 
act,  with  due  respect  and  great  hospitality,  during  her 
week's  delay  and  waiting  for  his  great  ( ?)  scientists  to 
get  ready. 

Mr.  Furness  attended  one  of  Mrs.  Lord's  seances  in 
Boston  on  the  occasion  of  his  first  visit  to  see  her.  In 
this  seance,  a  sister  came  to  him  and  gave  the  name  of 
Mary  Ann  Furness.  He  said,  no,  he  never  had  such  a 
sister.  On  returning  to  Philadelphia,  he  wrote  Mrs.  Lord 
and  acknowledged  his  mistake.  He  asked  members  of  his 
family  and  they  told  him  that  he  did  have  such  a  sister. 

The  Seybert  Commission  has  passed  into  history  and 
requires  no  obituary.  ' '  Parturiunt  montes,  etc. ' '  Its  delib- 
erations, if  what  they  reported  can  be  thus  designated, 
did  no  harm,  and  its  conclusions  did  not  settle  anything, 
unless  it  might  be,  the  incompetency  of  that  commission. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

QUEEN    CITY    PARK. 

This  beautiful,  spiritual  camp  ground,  situated  en  the 
shore  of  Lake  Chainplain  near  Burlington,  Vermont, — than 
which  there  is  no  more  delightful  spot  in  all  New  England 
for  a  summer  vacation,  was  very  frequently  visited  by 
Mrs.  Lord  after  the  session  closed  at  Lake  Pleasant. 
The  honest,  sincere  country  people  who  constituted  the 
majority  attending  there,  were  very  enthusiastic  admirers 
of  Mrs.  Lord.  Here,  as  at  her  own  favorite  camp,  her 
seances  were  always  crowded.  She  usually  made  her  home, 
while  at  this  camp,  with  Mr.  "William  Gardner,  of  Troy, 
New  York,  or  with  Mr.  Mannum,  both  of  whom  owned 
cottages  on  the  grounds. 

At  one  of  her  seances  here,  a  spirit  came  to  Mr.  Ferris, 
of  Malone,  New  York,  and  was  described  by  Mrs.  Lord 
so  accurately,— even  to  saying  that  the  spirit  came  into 
the  circle  dancing,— that  Mr.  Ferris  instantly  recognized 
him  as  a  friend  who  was  still  alive. 

"No,"  said  Mrs.  Lord,  "that  spirit  is  here  and  is 
not  in  the  body."  Mr.  Ferris  was  very  emphatic,  and 
said,  "No,  I  know  better.  He  was  alive  in  Malone,  only 
fifty  miles  from  here,  yesterday;  and  if  he  was  dead  I 
would  be  informed  of  it." 

you   will,  before  the  day  closes,"  said   Mrs.   Lord. 

In  less  than  two  hours  a  telegram  was  placed  in  his 
hands  announcing  the  death  and  calling  him  and  his  wife 
home. 


344  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

CLARENCE   SINGS  AT   QUEEN   CITY  PARK,   VERMONT. 

Queen  City  Park,  Sept.  14th,  1884,  5 :30  A.  M. 
Dear  Friend  Drake,  and  all  the  rest:  I  must  tell 
you  about  our  wonderful  midnight  serenade  last  night. 
Clarence  made  this  cottage  echo,  I  assure  you.  He  sang 
alone  for  several  minutes,  in  as  loud  a  voice  as  you  ever 
heard  him  sing,  accompanying  himself  on  the  guitar, — 
improvising  words  suitable  to  the  occasion,  making  prom- 
ises for  the  future,  etc.,  etc.  The  guitar  and  music  box 
were  both  played  at  the  same  time.  Mrs.  Lord  did  not 
hear  it  for  a  long  time,  and  when  she  did  finally  awake, 
she  berated  them  terribly  for  disturbing  her,  but  I  told 
her  what  they  had  done  and  she  was  very  much  interested. 
My  time  is  very  limited,  but  I  will  say  it  was  about  the 
most  surprising  manifestation  I  ever  witnessed.  The  blinds 
being  closed,  no  doubt  aided  them  greatly.  I  will  tell  you 
more  about  it  later.     Kindest  regards  to  all. 

Very  truly, 

William  Gardner. 

a  hot  boiled  egg. 

At  a  seance  held  at  26  Chester  Park,  in  1885,  a  gen- 
tleman had  thrown  his  handkerchief  on  the  floor  in  the 
center  of  the  circle  with  the  request  that  his  spirit  friends 
knot  it  so  that  he  would  have  something  by  which  to 
remember  them.  Clarence  said,  "All  right,  Mr.  Furguson, 
we  will  give  you  something  that  will  warm  your  memory." 
At  the  close  of  the  seance  the  handkerchief  was  found  with 
the  four  corners  nicely  tied  together,  and  containing  a 
boiled  egg,  still  hot.  A  thorough  investigation  was  started 
to  find  where  such  a  warm  remembrance  could  come  from. 
By  direction  of  Clarence,  they  went  into  the  next  door 
and  found  that  the  lady  of  the  house,  Mrs.  Hughes,  a 
stranger  to  Mrs.  Lord,  was  preparing  a  lunch  for  friends, 
who  had  just  come  from  the  country.  She  had  placed  six 
eggs  on  the  stove,  which  she  had  not  taken  out  of  the  hot 
water.     Looking  into  the  dish,  there  were  only  five.     She 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  345 

knew  thai  no  one  had  been  in  the  room  excepting  hers 
One  egg  was  missing,  and  here  was  a  gentleman  from  the 
Beance  with  it  in  his  handkerchief. 

CLARENCE  AGAIN  SERENADES  WILLIAM  GARDNER,  OF  TROY,  NEW 

YORK. 

No.  6,  Sixth  Street,  Troy,  X.  V..  September  21,  1886. 
E.  II.  Ladd.  Esq.,  .Malum1.  New  York. 

Dear  Sir:  You  have  no  doubt  heard,  through  our 
Malone  friends,  and  perhaps  from  Mrs.  Lord  herself,  about 
the  remarkable  serenade  we  had  in  our  cottage  the  last 
night  we  were  there.  All  the  shutters  but  two  were  in 
place,  making  almost  a  cabinet  of  the  chamber,  ami  there 
were  only  two  persons  on  the  upper  floor,  Mrs.  Lord  and 
my  brother,  and  three  on  the  lower  floor,  Miss  Curtis. 
myself  and  Mrs.  Gardner.  The  music  box  was  in  Airs. 
Lord's  room  and  the  guitar  stood  in  the  hall,  near  her 
door.  We  were  first  awakened  a  little  after  one  o 'clock- 
in  the  morning  by  the  playing  of  both  instruments,  with 
frequent  attempts  to  "tune"  the  guitar.  After  some  pre- 
liminary playing,  Clarence  began  to  sing,  in  as  strong 
a  voice  as  you  ever  heard  him.  thumbing  the  guitar  as 
accompaniment.  He  sang  for  at  least  five  minutes,— every 
word  being  easily  understood  and  addressed  to  myself  and 
wife.  He  said  there  were  more  than  a  hundred  spirits 
in  the  house,  that  they  had  done  the  best  they  could  for 
us  all.  and  hoped  to  do  much  better  in  future.  He  said 
much  more  that  I  cannot  now  repeat,  giving  a  parting 
in  conclusion.     One  very  strange  feature  of  the 

irrence  is  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Lord  and  my  brother  on 
the  same  floor,  with  such  open  communication  overhead, 
were  not  awakened.  Clarence  walked  along  the  hall,  down 
into  the  stairway.  T  thought  it  was  my  brother  and  Bpoke 
t<>  him.  but  he  did  not  answer.  I  spoke  louder,  and  finally 
shouted,  but  could  not  arouse  him.  Clarence  said  he  would 
awaken  him,  and  he  did. 

I   resolved   at   on  v  that   if   we   meet   there   again   next 
year,  as  T  hope  we  may,  we  will  make  conditions  thai  will 


346  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

enable  our  friends  to  repeat  that  wonderful  performance, 
with  interesting  additions.  Clarence  and  Snowdrop  each 
said  a  few  words  in  their  familiar  voices.  I  believe  we 
can  prepare  that  chamber  and  gather  a  group  of  mediums 
(with  the  aid  of  Clarence)  to  lodge  there,  and  give  us 
some  very  remarkable  results.  -I  hope  to  be  able  to  talk 
with  my  spirit  friends  "face  to  face." 

Why  not?  Clarence  and  Snowdrop  talked,  and  why 
not  others?  My  spirit  friends  promised  me  early  in  the 
summer,  that  they  would  make  my  cottage  echo,  and  they 
did.  I  know  the  singing  could  have  been  plainly  heard 
over  to  "Old  Folks  Home." 

If  you  have  opportunity,  talk  with  Clarence  about  this 
matter. 

I  am  not  half  satisfied  with  our  camp  meeting,  because 
I  gave  so  much  time  and  was  annoyed  so  much  by  the 
management.     I  will  not  submit  to  it  again. 

Mrs.  Gardner  joins  me  in  kindest  regards  to  yourself 
and  Mrs.  Ladd,  and  all  our  good  friends  in  Malone. 

Very  truly, 

Wm.  Gardner. 


At  a  seance  Mrs.  Lord  held  at  Jacksonville,  111.,  the 
spirit  of  a  well-known  musical  man,  who  had  passed  to 
spirit  life  some  years  before  was  heard  singing  tenor  just  as 
he  did  in  the  earth  life.  Although  his  friends  were  not 
strangers  to  this  phenomena,  they  said,  when  they  heard 
this  singing,  so  natural,  so  perfectly  life-like,  that  it  made 
their  hearts  stand  still.  No  more  than  a  line  at  a  time 
was  sung,  but  enough  for  recognition  of  the  most  natural 
and  rapturous  strains.  This  occurred  seven  different  times, 
so  that  all  heard  it.  The  sitters  were  fanned,  flowers  placed 
in  their  hands,  a  gentleman's  cane  was  taken  to  a  lady, 
raps  made  with  it  On  the  floor  and  table,  children  sat  on 
the  laps  of  their  kindred,  shook  hands,  embraced,  dallied 
with  their  fingers,  music  box  changed  hands,  etc.,  much  as 
in  other  seances,  showing  that  will  and  memory  are  attri- 
butes of  spirit. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  ^47 

A  spirit  came  to  a  member  of  1 1 1 « -  seance  in  fulfill- 
ment of  a  promise  made  in  earth-life,  that  if  coming  back 
were  possible,  he  would  do  so.     The  medium  addressed 

Judge .      "You   have   here   two   of   one   name,    a 

brother  and  a  nephew.  The  brother  and  nephew  died, 
etc."  The  spirit  voice  here  articulated,  "I  am  not  dead  at 
all.  Uncle,  I  am  alive  and  here."  The  details  of  a  horrible 
suicide  were  given  from  the  spirit  side,  by  the  subject 
of  it,  to  his  father,  in  distinct  terms,  so  that  all  those  at 
the  seance  heard  and  recalled  the  event.  One  dear  friend, 
who  had  not  been  a  week  in  the  world  of  spirit,  mani- 
fested his  presence  unmistakably. 

After  the  sitting  with  Mrs.  Lord,  one  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  seance  remarked  that  he  did  not  see  anything 
in  such  an  exhibition  of  spirit  power  that  was  antagon- 
istic to  the  Christian  religion.  "No,"  said  another,  "only 
the  resurrection  is  brought  on  prematurely  before  eccles- 
iastieism  is  ready  for  it,  or  those  of  its  body  who  wait  for  a 
spectacular  event  millions  of  years  hence,  when  the  sup- 
positious graveyard  dust  is  to  come  forward  and  ally 
itself  with  its  former  spirit, — this  process  being  called 
the  'resurrection.' 

"No!  There  is  nothing  in  honest  spirit  communion 
which  is  alien  to  the  principles  and  practice  of  true 
Christianity,  and  if  the  resurrection  could  be  regarded  as 
a  continuous  reality,  a  development,  there  could  be  no 
inharmony  in  the  lessons  of  spiritualism.  And  it  would, 
moreover,  infuse  a  leaven  into  all  the  sectarian  organiza- 
tions and  illumine  the  firmament  anew  in  evidence  of  a 
never-ccnsiiiL'  coming  of  the  Christ,  the  true  light  of  life. 
Another  thing:  Positing  that  man  is  a  spirit  and  that  in 
this  potent  factor  is  life.  form,  entity,  much  confusion 
of  toneue  would  be  avoided. 

"The  scriptures  do  not  deal  with  material  bodies.  They 
are  only  ;m  essentia]  part  of  the  human  frame— only  a 
time-worn  instrument.  They  are  called  the  grave  clothes, 
as  in  the  case  of  the  disciples  coming  to  the  tomb  of  the 
Savior;   they   found   nothing  but   the   c;r;ive   clothes,    but 


348  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

they  saw  and  spoke  to  Him  afterwards,  as  we  do  our  friends 
under  the  circumstance  of  materialization.  The  spirits 
come  to  us  when  Ave  make  the  conditions  so  that  they  can 
come,  and  when  they  have  learned  the  way.  They  all 
claim  that  at  death  the  spiritual  body  is  realized  at  once 
and  with  it  they  arise  into  their  proper  condition  accord- 
ing to  their  own  presentment  of  themselves."  And  thus 
we  see : 

'That  the  beautiful  dead  we  lay  away, 

With  a  breaking  of  the  heart, 
Was  only  to  us  the  cast  in  clay, 

Of  a  deathless  counterpart." 

CUI   BONO?   A  HIGHER  EDUCATION. 

.  In  1886,  Mrs.  Lord  had  reached  a  point  in  her  work 
where  it  was  her  purpose,  not  so  much  to  demonstrate  to 
the  public  the  fact  of  the  continuity  of  life,  as  to  evolve 
from  the  facts  demonstrating  this  continuity,  a  practical 
philosophy — a  code  of  ethics  suitable  to  the  times  and  in 
keeping  with  the  advances  made  by  spiritual  science.  The 
theory  of  evolution  had  swept  away  many  theological 
myths — the  lessons  of  wisdom  coming  from  the  spiritual 
side  of  life  had  done  away  with  the  scheme  of  orthodox 
salvation,  original  sin,  and  the  vicarious  atonement;  and, 
there  was  a  necessity  for  something  to  be  formulated  in 
the  place  of  these  things  for  those  who  seemed  not  to  be 
original  thinkers.  She  had,  prior  to  this  time — in  1884 — 
held  many  seances  in  New  York  for  Senator  Leland  Stan- 
ford, resulting  in  his  devoting  his  millions  to  the  building 
of  the  greatest  university  in  the  world  at  Palo  Alto,  Cali- 
fornia. 

A  knowledge  of  the  great  fact  of  continuous  life  and 
the  philosophy  founded  upon  fact,  had  shown  Senator 
Stanford  the  great  importance  and  necessity  for  a  school 
founded  on  broader  and  more  liberal  lines  than  similar 
institutions  East,  and  across  the  ocean.  As  Senator  Stan- 
ford personally  said  to  the  writer,  "But  for  Mrs.  Lord 
and  the  convincing  evidence  she  has  given  itip  of  a  future 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  349 

life,  and  the  important  bearing  our  thoughts  and  actions 
here  have  upon  that  future  life,  my  millions  would  not 
have  been  devoted  to  the  building  and  endowing  of  the 
University." 

The  lessons  given  her  of  the  absolute  accuracy  and 
certainty  of  the  compensatory  and  unchangeable  laws  of 
nature— that  effect  follows  cause  in  spiritual,  as  well  as 
in  material  things,  were  such  as  to  make  it  easy  and  very 
natura]  to  formulate  for  herself,  at  least,  a  code  of  ethics  to 
which  the  public  and  the  broader  and  more  liberally 
religious  can  find  no  objections. 

Her  presence  in  Kansas  City,  in  December,  1886,  was 
the  occasion  of  great  rejoicing  among  spiritualists,  whose 
enthusiasm  and  admiration  at  her  marvelous  demonstra- 
tions of  spirit-power  soon  spread  into  the  orthodox  and  un- 
believing element  of  society,  until  seats  in  her  seances  were 
at  a  premium.  These  seances  were  attended  by  the  best 
people  in  the  city.  At  her  Sunday  meetings,  in  the  Spirit- 
ualists' hall,  in  the  audience  could  be  seen,  in  addition  to 
the  regular  attendants,  prominent  society  people,  leading 
professional  men  and  known  scholars  of  the  city,  occa- 
sionally a  minister,  judges,  doctors,  lawyers,  leading  busi- 
ness men  and  their  families. 

Believers  were  delighted,  and  skeptics  and  unbelievers 
were  astonished  and  confo.unded,  being  utterly  unable  to 
account  for  the  wonderful  manifestations  in  any  other 
way  than  through  spirit  agency. 

On  the  invitation  of  Mr.  M.  II.  Hudson,  manager  of 
the  opera  houses,  she  spoke  in  Music  Hall,  which  proved  to 
be  none  too  large  for  the  enthusiastic  audiences  that 
greeted  her.  Never  in  the  history  of  Kansas  City  did  spirit- 
ualism have  such  a  revival. 

He**  fii*st  meeting  in  Music  Hall  was  thus  described  by 
tin-  Kansas  <  'it  v  Times  : 


S50  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

MRS.   LORD,   THE   MEDIUM,  DISPLAYS  SOME  OF   HER  POWERS  TO 
A  PLEASED   AUDIENCE. 

AVhen  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord,  a  medium  well-known  in 
spiritualistic  circles  all  over  the  country,  began  her  lec- 
ture last  evening  in  Music  Hall,  every  seat  was  occupied. 
The  skeptics,  who  were  challenged  to  be  present,  were  there 
in  full  force,  and  they  were  handled  in  such  a  manner  that 
when  they  left  the  hall  most  of  them  believed  that  there 
was  something  in  spiritualism,  after  all.  The  Emma  Ab- 
bot Company  were  present,  and  Mr.  Weatherill  had  his 
nervous,  erratic  search  after  a  lost  pocket  book  so  vividly 
portrayed  that  he  changed  color  frequently.  One  young 
man  was  inclined  to  become  angry  because  he  was  told  that 
he  would  rather  eat  than  fight.  The  casual  manner  in  which 
she  let  fall  the  remark  was  probably  the  cause  of  his  anger. 
Another  was  told  how  many  members  there  were  in  his 
family,  how  many  had  died  or  married,  and  what  their 
names  were.  The  appearance  of  persons  not  in  the  audi- 
ence was  vividly  described,  merely  on  mentioning  their 
names.  When  the  curiosity  of  the  audience  was  awakened,  a 
general  rush  was  made  for  the  front,  and  everybody  wanted 
to  see  if  his  family  record  could  be  told  so  easily.  She  told 
the  family  record  of  some  of  them  in  a  manner  that  made 
them  almost  grind  their  teeth,  although  many  were  forced 
to  admit  that  in  some  mysterious  manner  she  was  telling 
the  truth.  One  young  man,  who  was  accompanied  by  a 
young  lady,  was  told  that  he  would  prosper  if  he  would 
not  touch  whiskey,  and  one  old  toper,  whose  nose  had 
assumed  a  carmine  hue,  almost  turned  pale  when  he  was 
told  that  he  would  live  longer  if  he  did  not  drink  so  much 
water. 

"I  can  see  that  several  of  your  family  have  died  of 
dropsy. ' ' 

"  T  admit  that  it  is  a  fact,"  said  the  red-nosed  skeptic. 

"Drink  less  water,"  she  said,  and  passed  on  to  a 
young  man  who  handed  her  his  watch  charm  and  wanted  her 
to  tell  his  fortune.     This  she  did  in  a  manner  that  almost 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  351 

made  the  young  man  wild,  until  he  finally  asked  her  to  de- 
sist. She  said  that  the  young  man  had  spenl  a  month  of  the 
last  summer  in  the  country.  He  admitted  that  he  had,  and 
then  Bhe  told  him  about  a  little  hunt  for  snipe  he  had  made 
with  the  boys  while  absent.  This  he  vehemently  denied, 
but  took  the  caution  to  ask  the  medium  to  speak  no  further. 

Many  were  there  for  pleasure,  and  the  manner  in 
which  the  hall  was  filled  with  Laughter  ar  times  showed 
that  they  had  forgotten  business  cares  for  the  while.  Col. 
Theodore  S.  Chase  was  told  that  he  had  been  newly  elected 
secretary  of  an  association  for  making  Kansas  City  greater. 
and  she  said  that  both  he  and  the  association  would  pros- 
per. In  telling  one  gentleman  certain  facts  about  himself, 
she  remarked  that  his  hair  was  red  before  he  commenced 
wearing  a  wig,  which  he  admitted  after  remaining  visibly 
confused  for  a  few  seconds. 

After  the  meeting  had  closed,  Mr.  J.  Bolby,  proprietor 
of  the  Pacific  House,  and  a  number  of  his  friends,  accom- 
panied Mrs.  Lord  and  her  associates  to  the  parlors  of  the 
Normandy  Hotel,  where  a  seance  was  held.  Mr.  Bolby, 
who  announced  that  he  could  never  believe  in  spiritualism, 
was  astonished  at  the  manner  in  which  his  history  was  re- 
vealed and  the  way  in  which  his  family  was  described. 
Mis.  Lord  told  him  he  was  proprietor  of  the  Pacific  House, 
and  that  on  one  occasion  he  said  he  would  like  to  have  a 
■  •at.  and  a  friend  who  overheard  the  remark  afterward  Bent 
him  a  sack  full  by  express.  At  the  conclusion  Mr.  Bolby 
admitted  thai  this  was  true,  and  many  marveled  at  her 
skill.  One  who  said  that  he  was  a  thorough  skeptic,  was 
told  what  countries  he  had  traveled  in,  and  the  names 
of  his  wife,  his  uneles  and   his  sisters. 

At  this  meeting  Mrs.  Lord  took  occasion  to  outline 

the  philosophy  of  spiritualism  in  its  ethical  ami  practical 
aspects.  It  was  an  opportune  time.  The  audience  was 
composed  of  people  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence, 
thinking  people,  and  church  people  who  could  not,  or  dared 


352  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

not,  attend  such  a  meeting  in  a  spiritual  hall.  After  a 
formal  introduction,  she  said: 

From  my  earliest  recollection  my  teachers— the  only 
instructors  I  ever  had — have  presented  the  highest  moral 
precepts.  My  first  great  lesson  was  obedience  to  divine 
law.  I  was  taught  to  make  this  my  rule  of  action  and  to 
be  submissive  to  the  right.  Any  deviation  always  brought 
reprimand  and  punishment.  The  voice  of  conscience  was 
always  audible  and  attended  by  the  explanation  of  cause, 
so  that  the  thought  and  the  action  should  not  be  repeated. 
As  a  child  and  all  through  life,  experience  has  taught  me 
that  any  deviation,  however  slight,  from  the  golden  rule 
brings  compensation  more  or  less  severe  as  the  thought  or 
act  required.  This  is  the  law  of  spirit.  My  commands  were 
to-  let  no  opportunity  pass  to  impress  this  law — this  fact 
upon  all  with  whom  I  came  in  contact. 

The  hand  that  wrote  on  the  wall  at  Belshazzar's  feast 
gave  these  laws  to  Moses  on  the  tablets  of  stone,  and  all  the 
great  ethical  teachers  of  the  races  past  and  gone  have  re- 
ceived them  from  the  same  angelic  source — from  those 
who  have  passed  on  to  an  understanding  of  spirit  and  its 
eternal  laws.  With  such  teachers  do  you  wonder  that  from 
childhood  I  have  prayed  that  it  might  be  my  mission  to 
teach  and  practice  this  religion — a  philosophy  based  upon 
principles  that  do  not  tear  down  to  build  up,  but,  on  the 
contrary,  enriches  itself  with  whatever  good  can  be  ex- 
tracted from  all  creeds  and  every  religious  faith1?  My  con- 
ception of  this  harmonial  philosophy,  as  I  teach  and  prac- 
tice it,  is  that  it  does  not  disturb  the  traditions  of  the 
churches,  but  rather  confirms  them.  Take  spiritualism  out 
of  the  Bible,  and  the  churches  would  have  no  foundation 
upon  which  to  build.  We  take  from  the  Old  Testament 
all  that  is  instructive,  wholesome  and  clean.  We  believe  in 
the  teachings  of  Christ  and  strive  to  emulate  the  examples 
of  all  saintly  lives.  We  teach  that  all  infractions  of  moral 
and  spiritual  laws  bring  punishment. 

Purity  of  morals,  a  cleanly  life  and  a  practice  of  the 
"Golden  Rule"  are  vital  exemplifications  of  the  highest 


MRS.   MAUD  E.  LORD. 
(See  page  373.) 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  353 

virtues.  We  demonstrate  to  all  conscientious  investigators 
the  great  fact  that  "if  a  man  die  he  shall  live  again,"  that 
death  is  but  birth  into  a  new.  natural,  social  and  real  life, 
compared  to  which  this  is  the  shadowy  life.  We  demon- 
strate immortality.  II'  you  accept  the  fact  on  faith,  we  ask 
you  to  know  it.  We  are  not  iconoclasts,  but  co-operate 
with  churches  in  all  reforms.  We  ask  all  to  think  for  them- 
selves. Ours  is  an  established  religion,  with  a  demon- 
strable philosophy.  To  the  erring  it  offers  mercy;  to  the 
wicked  it  holds  out  opportunities  of  growth  into  better  con- 
ditions; to  the  weary  on  earth  it  speaks  of  rest,  and  to  the 
miserable  it  breathes  the  balm  of  hope.  What  objection 
can  humanity  have  to  the  fact  that  under  proper  conditions 
the  voices  of  their  loved  ones  "gone  before,"  may,  and 
do  fall  again  into  speech  and  tell  us  that  the  coin  cur- 
rent in  immortal  life  is  the  good  and  unselfish  acts  we 
perform  here— aye.  that  our  capital  "over  there"  is  the 
aggregate  of  thought  and  consummation  of  actions  here. 

We  advise  all  to  first  establish  the  fact  of  the  con- 
tinuity of  life — personal,  individual  life— to  their  satisfac- 
tion ;  and.  on  such  fact  to  build  a  code  of  ethics  commen- 
surate with  their  own  intellectual  capacity  and  moral 
needs.  None  can  do  this  and  live  in  evil  ways.  None  can 
know  that  the  eyes  of  loved  ones  are  upon  them  and  fre- 
quent the  haunts  of  vice,  or  wrong  their  neighbor.  When 
we  know  that  every  infraction  of  the  moral  and  spiritual 
law  brings  its  own  punishment;  when  we  can  measure  the 
dynamic  force  of  thought  and  approximate  the  laws  of 
heredity,  when  these  things,  these  facts,  these  laws,  not 
formulated  into  text  books  are  taught  to,  and  understood 
by  our  children  and  become,  as  it  were,  "bred  in  the 
bones,"  then  may  we  expect  a  nobler  and  grander  race, 
whose  spiritual  natures,  without  winch  man  is  an  animal, 
shall  balance  and  beautify  the  scientific  prodigies  our 
schools    and    colleges    are    sending    OUl    into    all    conditions 

of    life. 

Has    the    whole    field    id'    philosophical    exegesis    ,,r    the 


354  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

entire  curriculum  of  ecelesiasticism  a  grander  or  bettrr  mes- 
sage for  humanity? 

"It  is  a.  beautiful  belief  that  ever  around  our  heads, 

Are  hovering  on  noiseless  wing  bright  spirits  of  the  dead; 

It    is    a   beautiful    belief   that,    when    ended    our    career, 

It    shall   be   our   mission   to   watch   over   others   here — 

To  lend   a  moral  to  the  flower,  breathe  wisdom   on  the  wind 

To  hold  communion,  at  night's  pure  noon,  with  the  imprisoned 

mind, 
To    bid    the    mourner    cease    to    mourn — the    trembling    be    for- 
given." 

Like  the  Rev.  Heber  Newton,  I  believe  in  individual 
responsibility  after  death ;  that  transition  does  not  work  any 
sudden,  radical  change  in  our  intellectual,  moral  and  spirit- 
ual development;  that  progression  of  all  continues  under 
more  favorable  conditions  after  transition;  and,  on  these 
lines  is  basjd  the  religion  of  the  future.  The  churches 
must  broaden  their  creeds  to  hold  the  thinkers  who  will  fill 
their  cushioned  pews  when  these  lessons  are  better  un- 
derstood. 

I  believe  in  all  reforms  and  co-operate  with  all 
churches,  and  all  reform  movements.  I  believe  in  reform 
NOW  and  not  after  life  has  been  half  or  mostly  spent. 

Let  us  begin  now  to  educate  our  children — educate 
them  to  think,  and  in  time  we  may  bring  about  reforms. 
Our  systems  of  education  are  too  rigid  and  limited  to  pro- 
duce desired  results.  Correct  systems  and  methods  should 
give  1  lie  ability  to  think.  To  think  is  the  ultimate  of  educa- 
tion To  think  IS  education.  Mental  science  is  an  exact 
science,  with  phenomena  as  diversified  as  individuals, 
and  man  is  the  product  of  spirit  force — the  ego — the 
thinker,  operating  upon  grey  brain  matter.  One  is  essential 
to  the  other;  guard  these  two  elements;  guide  them  in 
accordance  with  hereditary  laws,  both  mental  and  physical, 
and  the  product  will  be  a  certain  positive  result.  Schools 
should  embrace  and  advance  all  thought  movements  with- 
out prejudice.  Every  vibration  of  human  thought  is  im- 
portant in  the  world  of  dynamic  results.  Every  aspiration 
and  every  prayer  uttered  is  perpetual  and  eternal.    Thought 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  355 

controls  all  the  motor  powers  of  the  earth  to-day,  and  hence 
our  schools  should  teach  people  to  think  and  not  to  repeat. 

Our  present  systems  produce  too  many  failures  in  life 
because  they  do  not  take  into  account  the  laws  of  spirit 
which  are  as'  immutable  as  the  laws  of  gravitation.  Those 
who  win  in  life,  win  because  their  education— sometimes 
acquired  in  the  hard  school  of  experience— evolves  these 
forces  of  which  I  speak.  In  the  natural,  physical  world  in 
which  we  live  every  man  should  qualify  himself  to  know 
the  laws  of  his  body  and  brain  and  spirit.  If  he  violates 
these  laws,  knowingly  or  ignorantly,  he  alone  must  pay  the 
penalty.  It  is  of  great  importance  to  know  and  under- 
stand the  laws  of  spirit,  the  consequences  of  whose  viola- 
tion reach  beyond  physical  punishment,  on  and  into  spirit- 
ual life,  making  or  marring  the  spirit's  progress.  ''In  all 
things  created  lingereth  beauty  or  its  wreck."  The  re- 
ligion of  the  future  must  preserve  this  beauty— the  new 
system  of  education  must  prevent  these  wrecks.  Will  the 
churches  and  the  people  join  us  in  this  work?  "Why  should 
they  not  permit  us  to  co-operate  with  them?  "We  are  all 
tending  to  the  same  end.  "We  all  urge  cleaner,  holier  lives. 
They  ask  you  to  believe  now  and  be  saved.  "We  ask  you  to 
know  now  and  save  yourself.  "We  ask  you  not  to  wait  until 
the  eleventh  hour,  until  death  approaches,  but  now  to 
adopt  such  a  course,  and  live  such  a  life,  as  to  become 
pure,  good  and  just— not  through  fear,  but  because  it  is 
hi  si  fur  you.  All  must  travel  the  same  road— all  must 
enter  spirit  life  just  as  they  leave  this  life.  Not  as  king  and 
subject;  not  as  cavalier  and  footman ;  not  as  millionaire  and 
pauper.  Scepters,  insignia,  and  castes  will  nil  drop  away. 
Character  only  remains.  This  is  the  inevitable— this  is 
(In    laic. 

In  conclusion,  the  speaker  expressed  tin-  following  ;is 
her  personal  belief  which  is  not  entertained  by  the  great 
body  of  spiritualists,  she  said:  "I  am  Looking  for  tin-  day 
when  Jesus  will  return;  with  him  will  he  ,-i  mighly  host; 
the  angels  are  preparing  the  way  and  the  great  Lord,  with 
all  his  disciples  will  come  again.  [  1  ii 1 1 1 .- 1 1 1  beings  should  pre- 


356  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

pare  themselves  by  ways  of  peace,  by  purity  of  mind  and 
conduct  and  by  love  to  each  other.  God  will  not  forget 
his  promise  and  eternal  death  no  longer  will,  with  its  fears, 
hold  sway  over  our  intellect.  Become  more  holy,  lead  clean 
lives.  The  erection  of  costly  temples  and  the  observance 
of  ceremonies  is  no  longer  necessary.  Spirits  come  to  all 
and  all  will  come  to  the  spirits.  Wife  and  husband,  mother 
and  child,  sweetheart  and  lover  will  all  be  reunited  in  the 
glorious  season  to  come.  Immortality  has  been  proven; 
let  the  world  rejoice.  Sweet  thoughts  are  these;  sweeter 
still  is  to  be  all  the  glorious  hereafter.  The  great  harbor  of 
safety  is  open  to  us  .and  the  beacon  lights  are  burning 
for  all  and  beckoning  to  each." 

At  the  close  of  this  lecture  Mrs.  Lord  stepped  down 
from  the  platform  and  called  for  strangers  for  whom  she 
would  describe.  On  such  occasions  she  never  described  or 
gave  readings  to  friends,  or  acquaintances,  or  spiritual- 
ists. She  preferred  to  deal  with  skeptics  and  strangers. 
Under  such  conditions  there  could  be  no  question  of  prior 
knowledge,  or  collusion. 

Here  she  displayed  that  wonderful  psychometric  power 
to  delineate  persons,  things,  and  places,  and  a  clairvoy- 
ance that  seemed  to  look  with  unerring  vision  upon  the 
panorama  of  individual  life,  with  all  its  kaleidoscopic 
changes;  as  well  as  a  clairaudience  which  revealed  the 
thoughts  and  words  from  lips  long  since  silenced  to  mortal 
ears.  For  more  than  two  hours  she  described  for  the 
anxious  ones  who  remained  for  the  demonstrations  of  her 
belief.  It  was  a  memorable  meeting  for  the  spiritualists  of 
Kansas  City— where,  later,  she  was  to  meet  with  so  much 
trouble. 

Another  strange  incident,  showing  how  life  lines  will 
sometimes  run  together  as  though  the  faithful  weaver  had 
purposely  entwined  the  threads,  or  had  cast  life's  drama  to 
suit  his  purpose,  or  test  the  quality  of  his  actors.  Who  can 
tell?  Mortal  eyes  cannot  watch  the  invisible  actors.  Do 
we  move  in  the  lines  of  least  resistance,  or  is  it  design 
that  we  fall  into  the  magnetic  lines  of  force  and  imagine 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  357 

we  are  acting  out  our  own  sweet  will  and  wayl  At  this 
time,  .Mrs.  Lord  had  hot,  knowingly,  Been  or  met  The 
Stranger  who  used  to  come  to  her  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Booker,  in 
their  "dreams  and  visions'7  at  their  home  in  Wisconsin 
years  before  some  fourteen  years  or  more.  Only  occa- 
sionally did  the  thought  and  the  memory  of  the  Oriental 
Master's  prophecy  come  to  her.  The  prophecy  made  on 
that  bright,  summer  Sabbath  morning,  so  long  ago,  was 
seldom  re-called. 

"He  giveth  his  angels  watch  o'er  thee! 

"No  matter  how  dark  the  clouds  may  lower, 
"No  matter  how  deep  the  waters  be, 

"No  matter  how  high  the  mountains  tower — 
"Their  bright  wings  hover  unceasingly, 

"He  giveth  His  angels  watch  o'er  thee! 

— L'enpant  Purdu. 

The  manager  of  the  hall  came  to  Mrs.  Lord  and  asked 
her  what  might  be  her  method  of  procedure.  She  told  him 
it  was  usual  in  her  meetings  to  have  a  chairman  who 
would  introduce  her.  This  was  out  of  his  line  as  manager 
of  the  hall,  and  he  suggested  a  gentleman  who  was  present, 
Mr.  J.  S.  Drake,  who  was  building  water  and  gas  works 
in  Hutchinson,  Kansas,  and  who  was  passing  through  the 
city,  and  had  stopped  over  to  attend  the  meeting.  Mr. 
Drake  accepted  the  honor  and  introduced  her  to  the  audi- 
ence and  acted  as  chairman  during  the  evening. 

From  Kansas  City,  Mrs.  Lord  went  to  San  Fran- 
cisco, California,  where  she  spoke  in  Metropolitan  Hall,  to 
an  audience  of  over  fifteen  hundred  people.  The  spiritual 
meetings  in  San  Francisco  were  the  most  popular  and 
el  aimed  the  largest  congregations  of  any  church  or  Sunday 
meetings  in  that  city  of  liberal,  progressive  thinkers. 

Returning  Last,  in  the  early  summer,  she  spoke  for  the 
Spiritualists  of  Denver;  Lamed,  Kansas;  Kansas  City; 
Jacksonville,  111.-,  Chicago,  ami  at  the  Eastern  spiritual 
camp  meetings,  at  Lake  Pleasant,  Onset  Lay.  ami  Queen 
City  Park 

At  Queen  City  Park,  than  which  there  is  no  more  beau- 
tiful spot  on   Lake  Champlain   for  a  summer  outing,  she 


358  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

again  met  Mr.  J.  S.  Drake,  who  had  left  his  office  in  New 
York  City  to  spend  a  few  weeks  with  his  father  and  mother 
at  their  cottage,  "The  Old  Folks'  Home,"  as  they  called 
it.  At  this  time  Mr.  Drake  avowed  a  positive  knowledge  of 
the  continuity  of  life ;  and,  by  a  long  and  careful  scientific 
investigation,  had  become  convinced  of  many  of  the  facts 
of  spirit  phenomena;  that  they  were  genuine  and  possible 
under  proper  conditions,  with  the  exception  of  materiali- 
zation. 

He  had  consumed  considerable  time  in  visiting  nearly 
all  of  the  public  materializing  mediums  at  all  the  camp 
meetings  and  in  the  large  cities,  and  unhesitatingly  stated 
that  he  had  not  seen  any  of  the  so-called  materializations 
that  was  in  any  way  satisfactory,  or  that  seemed  genuine  to 
him ;  and,  that  very  much  of  it  was  very  palpably  a  fraud, 
and  a  cheap  imitation,  if  such  a  thing  as  the  genuine  ever 
was  produced.  His  mother  was  a  beautiful  trance  medium, 
with  a  control  named  ' '  Neotkah, ' '  with  whom  he  had  many 
interviews.  She  had  another  control,  an  East  Indian  spirit, 
named  "Eulah,"  who  had  given  him  considerable  informa- 
tion relative  to  the  religio-philosophical  science  of  the 
Orientals. 

His  deductions  from  the  facts  that  came  under  his 
own  observation  and  experiments  forced  him  at  this  time 
to  concede  all  spiritual  phenomena  excepting  materializa- 
tion. That  this  phase  was  demonstrated  to  his  entire  satis- 
faction, is  best  told  in  his  own  words : 

CLARENCE    APPEARS    IN    FULL    DRESS. 

"Those  who  deny  the  operations  of  recondite  forces 
with  which  they  are  not  familiar,  and  refuse  to  grant  the 
conditions  required  for  the  production  of  phenomena  under 
investigation,  have  studied  to  little  purpose,  and  need  to  be 
reminded  that  it  is  a  little  late  in  this  age  of  scientific  inves- 
tigation to  assert  that  the  limits  of  their  senses  are  the  limits 
of  intellectual  progress. 

Assuming,  therefore,  that  the  natural  laws  under  which 
it  was  possible  for  Christ  to  appear  to  his  apostles  and  for 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  359 

Saul  to  talk  with  Samuel  are  extant  to-day,  I  will  simply 
state  a  IVw  facts  that  have  come  under  my  personal  observ- 
ation, proving  conclusively  to  my  mind  the  continuity  of 
life  after  death;  and.  that  these  laws  can,  under  proper 
conditions,  be  applied  to-day,  with  as  practical  results  as  in 
the  instances  so  earnestly  believed  by  the  whole  Christian 
world  and  by  all  people  in  all  ages. 

All  races  have  believed  in  individual  immortality, 
which  belief  must  come  from  a  conscious  feeling  that  such 
is  the  fact.  It  is  not  difficult  to  believe  that  this  feeling  is 
entitled  to  as  much  weight,  in  forming  an  opinion  upon 
this  subject,  as  Biblical  history,  or  argument  that  appeals 
to  reason  through  the  senses,  from  the  fact  that  our  senses 
are  liable  to  deceive  us,  while  this  feeling  is  usually  correct; 
but,  as  the  world  goes,  the  facts,  accepted  as  such,  by  one 
or  more  of  the  senses,  are  received  with  more  favor. 

I  will,  therefore,  confine  myself  strictly  to  authenti- 
cated facts  in  relating  the  incident  connected  with  the 
phenomena  I  have  witnessed,  as  presented  through  that 
most  wonderful  medium,  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord. 

Having  heard  the  lady  say  that  she  could  produce 
genuine  materialization,  I  arranged  with  a  few  friends  to 
invite  her  to  visit  Queen  City  Park,  near  Burlington,  Ver- 
mont, where  my  father's  family  was  spending  the  summer 
and  where  I  had  gone  to  hear  Col.  Robert  G.  Ingersoll,  who 
had  been  engaged  by  the  spiritual  association  owning  the 
grounds  to  deliver  three  lectures. 

After  her  arrival,  and  before  she  had  done  any  work, 
I  improvised  a  cabinet  in  the  front  room  of  my  father's 
cottage,  "The  Old  Folks'  U<uiie,"  by  hanging  a  dark  cur- 
tain across  one  corner  of  the  room,  leaving  sufficient  space 
in  the  corner  for  the  medium  to  be.  comfortably  seated 
without  touching  the  walls  of  the  room  or  the  cm-tain  in 
front  <>f  her. 

I  arranged  thirteen  ehaira  in  a  semi-circle  in  front  of 
this  enrtain,  taking  care  not  to  have  any  space  between 
the  chairs,  and  that  the  chairs  at  the  end  of  the  semi-cir- 
cle should   touch   the   walls  of  Ihe   room,   so  that   when    my 


3G0  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

company  was  seated,  no  one  could  reach  the  cabinet  with- 
out climbing  over  the  circle. 

Thus  equipped,  under  conditions  precluding  all  possi- 
bility of  fraud,  deception,  or  assistance  from  outside,  I 
seated  my  company.  Among  those  present  were  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  William  Gardner,  of  Troy,  N.  Y. ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E. 
H.  Ladd,  of  Malone,  New  York;  Mr.  Charles  Smith,  of 
Bangor,  New  York;  Mrs.  Nathan  Knapp  and  Mrs.  Judge 
Hutton,  of  Malone,  New  York,  the  other  seats  being  occu- 
pied by  members  of  my  father's  family,  while  I  stood  out- 
side of  the  circle  the  better  to  observe  what  might  hap- 
pen. Like  most  investigators,  I  had,  while  complying  with 
the  conditions  given  me,  arranged  everything  most  un- 
reasonably for  the  medium,  if  the  phenomena  depended 
solely  upon  her  unaided  efforts.  I  had  selected  Monday 
morning  for  the  test  when  she  would  not  be  expecting  to  be 
called,  and  I  had  appealed  to  any  superstition  which  she 
might  entertain  by  having  thirteen  chairs  in  my  circle.  My 
company  was  promptly  on  hand  at  eight  o'clock,  and  in 
their  places,  while  I  stood  outside  the  door  watching  for 
the  medium,  intending  to  ask  her  to  come  in  as  she  passed 
from  her  rooms  on  her  way  to  breakfast,  at  a  time  when 
she  would  not  have  any  of  the  paraphernalia  of  the  cabinet 
or  seance  room  about  her,  and  when  her  accomplices,  if  any 
such  she  had,  were  off  duty. 

At  about  eight-thirty  she  came  past  and  I  met  her 
some  few  rods  from  the  house ;  and,  after  introducing  my- 
self, I  called  her  attention  to  the  statement  I  had  heard 
her  make  a  year  before,  that  she  "could  produce  genuine 
materialization  if  she  had  a  good  cabinet."  I  told  her  I 
had  a  good  cabinet  and  a  company  all  seated  and  waiting 
for  the  spirits,  and  .if  she  would  come  and  make  good  the 
statement  she  could  name  her  own  price.  She  could  not 
have  known  of  my  plans,  as  I  had  not  told  them  to  any  one, 
and  no  one  of  my  company  dreamed  of  what  was  coming 
until  they  were  invited  to  take  a  seat  in  the  semi-circle. 

She  objected  and  said  she  had  just  arisen  and  was  on 
her  way  to  breakfast  and  did  not  believe  she  could  get 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  3G1 

anything,  and  seemed  to  be  a  trifle  annoyed,  as  I  thought, 
at  being  thus  taken  at  a  disadvantage.  I  told  her  that  was 
exactly  my  opinion.  My  remark  settled  the  matter,  al- 
though it  was  somewhat  unkind,  and  she  said:  "I  will 
go  and  try." 

She  insisted  upon  the  ladies  of  my  party  examining 
her  clothing  and  removing  anything  of  a  white  color  she 
might  have  about  her.  1  'his  they  did.  not  leaving  her 
even  a  pocket  handkerchief.  She  then  insisted  upon  being 
securely  tied.  This  I  did  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  of  the 
company.  As  she  took  her  place  in  the  cabinet  I  closed  and 
locked  the  doors,  tin1  two  windows  having  been  previously 
fastened  — and  then  I  took  hold  of  the  curtain  and  pushed 
it  against  the  wall  to  exclude  from  the  cabinet  the  light 
from  a  lamp  which  had  not  been  turned  down.  Instantly,  to 
my  great  surprise  and  before  I  had  let  go  of  the  curtain, 
a  hand  grasped  it  just  below  my  hand  and  pushed  it  back. 

I  stood  face  to  face  with  a  man  about  my  own  size — 
five  feet  eleven— dressed  in  dark  clothes,  very  white  shirt 
and  spotless  cult's!  His  hair  was  dark  and  curled  a  little — 
his  moustache  was  rather  long  and  pointed,  and  lie  wort1  a 
fine  diamond  pin. 

There  sat  the  medium  not  five  feet  distant.  There 
sat  all  of  my  company:  and.  not  more  than  three  feet  dis- 
tant stood  this  stranger— an  unexpected  addition  to  our 
company.  We  all  saw. and  marveled  at  his  appearance,  so 
suddenly  and  in  the  light.  Here  was  an  objective  reality — 
a  reality  to  fourteen  full  grown,  reasonably  intelligent  peo- 
ple, all  of  whom  saw  the  same  presence  under  absolutely 
test  conditions.  With  a  smile  he  stepped  outside  of  the  cur- 
tain and  said  : 

"Drake,  do  not  allow  anyone  to  break  the  conditions 
and  we  will  show  you  something  genuine." 

As  T  stepped  back  he  took  a  step  forward  and  placing 
his  hand  upon  Mr.  Charles  Smith's  shoulders,  explained 
the  difficulties  in  establishing  the  magnetic  enrrents  so  as 

t"  permit  the  spirit  to  -_rrasp  and  use  matter,  so  as  to  become 
appreciable  to  our  senses. 


3G2  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Here  was  something — a  fact — one  remove  from  my 
senses,  outside  of  my  experience  and  beyond  my  knowledge 
of  physics— no  phantasm,  but  a  fact.  A  visible,  audible, 
tangible,  transcendental  fact, — a  fact  to  all  in  the  room, 
appealing  alike  to  the  senses  and  the  reason  of  all.  No 
hypnotism;  no  auto-suggestion;  no  involuntary  cerebral 
action  on  the  part  of  fourteen  sane  people,  simultaneously 
conjuring  out  of  somewhere  or  nowhere  this  well-dressed, 
talking,  intelligent  person  with  a  knoAvledge  of  matter  and 
force  transcending  the  combined  knowledge  and  experience 
of  all  present.  Nor  was  this  a  combination  of  latent  vibra- 
tions registered  upon  matter  or  upon  any  spiritual  uni- 
verse. 

What  was  it?  A  plain,  cold  fact,  unexpected  by  all 
present.  A  fact  involving  forces  and  laws  not  tabulated  in 
text  books,  or  named  in  our  learned  treatise.  What  would  a 
cold,  skeptical  man  of  the  world  do  with  such  a  fact  ?  It  is 
immaterial  to  me  what  others  think,  I 'was  doing  my  own 
thinking.  It  is  a  mental  law  to  refer  all  facts  to  some 
theory. 

Before  he  had  finished  his  talk,  a  lady,  dressed  in 
bridal  robes  with  her  long,  white  train  thrown  over  her  arm, 
parted  the  curtains  in  the  center,  and,  stepping  out  into 
full  view  of  all  the  company,  said:  "Cannot  I,  too,  join 
this  pleasant  company?"  While  these  two  forms  stood  in 
.full  view  of  all  the  company  the  medium  could  also  be  seen 
seated  in  her  chair,  with  her  hands  tied  behind  her  back, 
just  as  she  had  insisted  on  being  tied  previous  to  being 
seated  in  the  cabinet.  Three  of  my  company  instantly  ex- 
claimed :    ' '  Oh,  Rose  Wentworth,  we  are  so  glad  to  see  you. ' ' 

There  are  times,  possibly,  in  every  man's  life  when 
unexpected  results  so  suddenly  upset  his  theories  and  re- 
verse his  judgment  that  reply  comes  not  readily,  but  to  one 
educated  in  that  most  practical  school  of  life— a  daily  news- 
paper office — where  for  fifteen  years,  as  reporter  and 
editor,  in  the  cities  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  Rock  Island, 
Illinois,  I  had  been  taught  to  think  quickly  and  to  be 
fair  and  honest  in  judgment,  even  at  the  expense  of  pre- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  3G3 

conceived  opinions,  I  could  therefore  only  bid  our  celestial 
visitors  welcome  and  acknowledge  myself  satisfied. 

The  lady  in  bridal  costume  was  recognized  by  Mrs. 
Button,  Mrs.  Knapp  and  members  of  my  father's  family 
as  an  acquaintance  who  had  been  buried  in  her  wedding 
dress  similar  to  the  one  in  which  she  presented  herself. 

The  gentleman  who  stepped  out  of  the  cabinet  and 

addressed  us  for  at  least  three  minutes,  I  afterwards  learned 

the  medium's  control,  Clarence  Wilbourn,  who  was  a 

resident  of  New  York  City,  and  who  was  shot  near  Fort 

Madison,  Iowa,  in  September,  1862. 

Several  other  forms  appeared  during  our  seance. 
ong  the  number  was  a  beautiful  little  Indian  girl  who 
parted  the  em-tain  and  threw  a  bouquet  of  flowers  which 
struck  me  on  the  shoulder,  and  who  said:  "Here's  the 
medium's  flowers  for  you  Brave."  Later  I  learned  that 
her  name  was  "Leotah"  or  Snowdrop,  as  she  was  called, 
-;ie  usually  appeared  to  other  clairvoyants  carrying  a 
flower  by  that  name  in  her  hands,  or  entwined  in  her  black 
hair.    She  did  not  appear  to  be  over  four  feet  tall. 

What  was  the  most  convincing  of  all,  was  the  ap- 
pearance of  two  forms  at  the  same  time,  both  addressing  us 
in  different  voices,  while  the  medium  was  talking.  All 
three  were  in  full  view  of  all  the  company,  with  no  possible 
chance  for  deception.  This  seance  demonstrated  to  me  that 
they  who  are  so  wise  in  their  own  conceit  as  to  attempt  to 
define  the  limitations  of  the  spirit,  or  to  pronounce  judg- 
ment on  any  subject  without  first  having  investigated  the 
same,  must  appear  foolish  in  the  eyes  of  those  to  whom 
these  things  have  been  domonstrated. 

J.  S.  Drake. 
Sherman   House.   Chicago,   111..  Dec.  1886. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

DO    COMING    EVENTS    CAST    THEIR    SHADOWS    BEFORE? 
WHAT   IS   DEATH  f 

"Spirit,  nearing  yon  dark  at  the  limit  of  Thy  human  state, 
Fear  not  Thou  the  hidden  purpose  of  that  power  which  alone 
is  great." 

— Tennyson. 

While  riding  with  Conductor  Cross,  whose  run  was 
from  Rockford  to  Chicago,  Mrs.  Lord  said  to  him,  point- 
ing to  his  brakeman,  "I  see  death  following  him— very- 
close  to  him.  He  has  only  a  short  time  to  live. ' '  The  con- 
ductor smiled  incredulously  and  said :  ' '  That  great  healthy 
fellow?  Well,  if  he  dies  soon,  I  will  believe  there  is  some- 
thing in  spiritualism. ' '  The  conductor 's  train  was  a  mixed 
train,  and  it  was  the  duty  of  the  brakeman  to  pass  over  the 
tops  of  the  freight  cars.  The  next  day,  as  the  brakeman 
was  going  over  the  train  he  was  struck  by  a  bridge  and 
instantly  killed. 

A  similar  vision  was  shown  in  St.  Louis.  Entering  an 
Olive  street  car  one  afternoon,  she  remarked  to  her  com- 
panion, "I  see  death  very  close  to  that  gentleman  seated 
in  the  front  of  the  car."  Her  companion  looked  and  saw 
that  she  had  pointed  to  Captain  Joseph  Brown,  so  well  and 
favorably  known,  as  the  old  city  auditor,  and,  at  one 
time,  mayor  of  St.  Louis.  Both  were  well  acquainted  with 
Captain  Brown.  She  was  very  nearly  blind — always  hav- 
ing been  near-sighted — and  did  not  recognize  him.  They 
called  the  Captain  back  and  he  said  he  was  feeling  quite 
well,  much  better  than  he  had  felt  for  some  time.  Captain 
Brown  was  a  pronounced  spiritualist  and  an  unusually  in- 
telligent man.  During  the  great  Chicago  fire,  he  was  the 
first  to  send  relief  to  the  people  of  that  city.     He  for- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  3C5 

warded  the  first  car-load  of  provisions,  while  the  city  was 
still  burning.  This  vision  of  death,  in  this  ease,  was  veri- 
fied in  less  than  two  months. 

Again,  when  boarding  at  the  Sherman  House  in  Chi- 

.  Mr.  Harry  J.  Milligan,  a  friend  of  her  husband,  came 
in  from  a  drive,  thoroughly  chilled.  She  happened  to  be 
in  the  elevator  when  he  went  up  to  his  room.  She  censured 
him  for  going  out  on  such  a  day  without  his  over- 
coat. She  went  on  to  her  room  and  said  to  her  husband, 
'••  Harry  is  going  to  die." 

""What  makes  you  think  so,"  was  his  reply. 

"I  saw  death  over  him  as  we  came  up  in  the  elevator 
just  now.'* 

"That  cannot  be,  as  he  is  such  a  strong  and  healthy 
man.     He  is  a  perfect  athlete,"  was  his  answer. 

"Oh,  yes,  he  is  going  to  die.  I  never  see  death  over 
any  one  that  they  do  not  die,  in  a  very  short  time,  accord- 
ing to  the  distance  the  shadow  is  from  them." 

"Death  is  not  a  person— how  can  it  make,  or  be  a 
shadow?     What  does  it  look  like?" 

'■ft  is  like  a  presence,  a  beautiful,  ethereal  and  re- 
fined presence  when  the  life  of  the  person  has  been  clean, 
moral,  and  pure:  it -is  dark  when  their  life  has  been  bad. 
This  presence  is  always  knitting,  weaving,  and  closing  up 
tie'  threads  of  life.  Sometimes  it  is  close  up  to  the  person 
and  sometimes  distant.  Sometimes  it  is  rushing  after  them 
and  at  other  times  it  is  moving  along  leisurely.  Sometimes 
it  diffuses  a  beautiful,  exquisite,  exotic  perfume-,  at  other 
times,  an  indescribable  odor,  according  to  the'thoughts  and 
character  of  the  person.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  the  reflex 
of  tie'  people,  because  it  does  not  look  like  them.  To  me 
it   seems  to  be  a  real   pr  Von   know  how   many   I 

see  following  people  on  the  street — in  public  assemblies, 
ami  on  the  cars.  Whenever  you  have  taken  the  trouble 
to  learn  the  faets.  you  have  always  found  that  this  vision — 
this  actual  presence,  call  if  the  shadow  of  the  person  or 
their  guardian  angel  closing  up  his  accounts,  or  call  it 
what  you  will,  is  the  forerunner  of  the  person's  death. 


366  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

All  my  life,  I  have  seen  this  presence,  sometimes  beautiful, 
and  sometimes  sorrowful,  and  there  has  never  been  any 
mistake.  Yes,  Harry  will  surely  die,  and  I  hope  he  is  pre- 
pared to  go." 

"Oh,  no,  he  is  not  prepared.  He  is  just  now  at  the 
most  successful  period  in  his  business  career, ' '  was  the 
reply. 

He  went  to  his  room,  and  never  left  it  alive.  He  had  a 
severe  case  of  pneumonia,  and  seemed  to  recover.  The 
medium's  husband  talked  with  him  and  tried  to  induce 
him  to  make  his  will  and  otherwise  arrange  his  business  af- 
fairs as  a  business  precaution. 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,  old  boy;  don't  you  get  scared 
about  me— I'm  not  going  to  die  yet,"  was  his  reply. 

He  did  not  sleep  well  and  the  doctors  gave  him  several 
doses  of  chloral  without  effect.  He  was  fed  on  brandy  to 
keep  up  his  strength,  and,  finally,  a  consultation  was  held, 
and  they  decided  that  he  could  not  live  unless  he  could  get 
some  sleep,  and  they  decided  to  give  him  chloroform.  This 
was  done,  and  he  never  regained  more  than  a  momentary 
consciousness,  and  died  in  the  arms  of  the  medium's  hus- 
band, and  his  old  friend,  L.  D.  Cleveland,  the  architect. 

a   midnight   entertainment — extraordinary   manifesta- 
tion of  spirit  power. 

Chicago,  III.,  1886. 

Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord  spent  several  days  with  us  when 
last  in  the  city.  Not  being  in  her  usual  health,  her  presence 
was  made  known  to  but  few.  Past  experience  had  taught  us 
to  expect  much  through  her  superior  mediumship,  mid  home 
quietude.  Clarence,  her  principal  control,  known  nearly  as 
well,  from  shore  to  shore,  as  herself,  and  to  us  almost  as 
distinct  an  individuality,  joined  with  us  in  our  mirth, 
sympathizing  with  us  in  our  sadness,  advising  us,  and  giv- 
ing his  opinion  in  such  a  natural  way  that  we  felt  him  to 
be  one  of  our  number.  He  was  invited  to  give  us  a  mid- 
night entertainment  as  he  had  done  some  years  before. 

Mrs.  Lord's  room  was  across  the  hall,  two  doors  away 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  3G7 

from  ours.  There  was  no  one  else  on  the  same  floor.  The 
doors  Leading  into  the  hall  from  both  rooms  were  left 
open;  however,  that  would  make  no  difference  with  Clar- 
ence, as  he  always  opens  or  eloses  them  at  will,  and  this 
night  of  which  I  write,  he  awakened  us  by  closing  a  door 
to  exclude  the  light  shining  in  from  the  street.  My  hus- 
band said:  "Clarence,  is  that  you?"  In  quick  response 
came  in  independent  voice,  "Yes,  Gardner,  it  is  I." 
Then  coming  to  our  bedside  be  said,  "Join  hands."  Rest- 
ing  a  band  upon  my  head  be  talked  kindly  as  a  brother,  even 
as  a  tender,  Loving  mother,  to  her  saddened  children.  My 
husband  had  been  disabled  for  many  months,  and  was 
very  despondent.  Clarence,  reading  the  thoughts  that  had 
not  been  expressed,  addressed  himself  to  my  husband,  say- 
ing:  "Gardner,  you  are  entirely  wrong;  you  would  gain 
Qothing  by  the  change.  The  heaven  you  desire,  you  would 
not  find.  Your  love,  care,  ami  thoughts,  would  still  be 
with  the  wife  that  has  journeyed  with  you  so  many  years, 
and  your  inability  to  do  for  her,  and  the  knowledge  that 
years  of  usefulness — of  needed  preparation  for  the  change — 
which  might  have  been  yours,  would  bring  greater  sorrow 
than  yet  experienced.  Put  forth  every  effort  to  overcome 
this  morbidness,  fake  a  firm  hold  upon  hope  and  life,  and, 
my  brother,  I  will  help  you.  God  bless  you,  Gardner,  you 
shall  yet  see  much  of  happiness.  Work  hand  and  hand 
her.  as  you  now  do.  with  the  partner  of  your  joys  and 
sorrows,  and  the  clouds  will  lift  and  health  and  hope  be 
restored." 

Much  of  the  same  import  was  given,  with  a  tenderness 
that  cannot  be  recorded.  None  but  those  who  have  had  a 
similar  experience  can  understand  our  feelings  while  be- 
ing  addressed  in  an  audible  voice,  in  the  still  hour  of  night, 
by  a  disembodied  spirit.  The  echo  still  Lingers  in  the  cham- 
bers of  my  soul,  and  that  much  good  has  resulted  from  the 
divine  interview,  Clarenci  knows  without  my  1 >rd.  Dur- 
ing the  line'  he  was  manifesting,  Snowdrop's  busy  fin- 
were  arranging  the  bed  clothes  about  my  neck.    She 

said  :  "I  want  to  cover  you  up."  Three  hands  were  upon  me 


368  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

at  the  same  time,  and  the  medium,  two  doors  away,  slept. 
We  thought  the  entertainment  grand  beyond  our  former 
experience.  Clarence,  however,  thought  it  not  complete, 
and  sang  to  us.  He  began  singing  in  the  front  parlor,  three 
rooms  away  from  Mrs.  Lord's — then  came  to  our  bed-side 
and  sang  loud  enough  to  wake  the  people  sleeping  below 
stairs,  improvising  words  and  music,  upon  which  he  after- 
wards laughingly  commented.  I  can  memorize  but  two 
lines,  enough,  however,  to  show  the  kindly  sentiment : 

"If   we   only   could   to-morrow 
Place  your  feet  beyond  all  sorrow." 

The  singing  awoke  Mrs.  Lord,  and  she  called  to  us,  de- 
siring to  know  what  Clarence  was  doing,  and  to-  inquire 
the  hour. 

*  Mr.  Gardner  stepped  to  the  floor  to  light  the  gas,  but 
quickly  called  for  help.  Hands  were  upon  him  from  head  to 
feet,  and  he  said  he  could  not  move,  the  room  was  so  full, 
and  he  wished  that  I  would  light  the  gas  quickly;  but  the 
room  was  peopled  too  densely  for  me  to  move  with  rapid- 
ity. Instantaneously  the  bed  clothing  was  turned  sheet 
side  up,  and  put  as  smoothly  down  as  four  hands  could 
have  placed  it.  In  fact  so  great  was  the  tumult,  that  sim- 
ultaneously the  cry  went  forth,  Maud!  Maud!  Do  come 
and  light  the  gas." 

Thus  ended  our  exceedingly  interesting  and  rather 
exciting  spirit  entertainment.  We  found  the  hour  to  be 
2  A.  M. 

Clarence  has  promised  something  even  grander  when 
Mrs.  Lord  shall  have  regained  her  health.  Having  seen  so 
much  of  Clarence's  power,  we  do  not  question  his  ability, 
to  do  anything  possible  to  be  done,  by  a  unity  of  forces  of 
the  two  worlds. 

A  letter  just  received,  says:  "Mrs.  Lord  is  recover- 
ing from  a  throat  trouble.  Most  wonderful  has  been  the 
spirit  power  employed  in  her  restoration,"  a  knowledge  of 
which  will  give  pleasure  to  her  many,  many  friends  through- 
out the  land. 

Mary  A.  Gardner. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  3G9 

CLARENCE   SHOWS    HIMSELF   TO  OLD   FRIENDS. 

Pawtucket.  \l.  [.,  No.  47  Harrison  St. 

Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord  and  lier  little  daughter  passed 
Christinas  week  with  us.  On  Christmas  night,  while  a  few 
friends  were  present,  the  conversation  drifted  to  materiali- 
zation, some  of  the  party  declaring  they  had  lost  all  faith 
in  that  phase  of  tnediumship,  as  so  many  pretended  med- 
iums had  been  exposed,  and  it  was  difficull  to  Becure  test 
conditions.  While  we  were  talking  Mrs  Lord's  arm  was 
controlled,  and  the  spirit  wrote:  "If  you  can  arrange 
id  cabinet,  we  will  do  our  part  to  convince  you* of  the 
truth  of  materialization." 

In  the  second  story  we  have  an  alcove,  with  heavy 
draperies,  and  one  window.  We  darkened  the  window, 
turned  the  lights  down,  a  very  little,  but  could  see  plainly 
everything  in  the  rooms.  Mrs.  Lord  called  for  a  rope  to 
tie  her  hands.  Two  of  the  party  tied  her  hands  securely  be- 
hind her  back.  The  moment  she  entered  the  cabinet,  a  hand 
and  arm  were  thrust  out.  In  the  meantime  a  hand  came 
out  at  the  side,  and  reaching  over  the  bed,  pulled  a  pillow 
off  onto  the  floor.    Then  Mrs.  Lord  said : 

"Clarence,  it  seems  very  warm  in  here." 

Immediately,  we  heard  the  window  being  pulled  down 
at  the  top.  It  was  a  very  hard  sash  to  move.  The  curtain 
rattled,  and  the  spirit  seemed  to  be  very  strong.  The  win- 
dow is  on  the  hack  part  of  the  house,  the  third  floor  from 
the  ground,  and  there  is  no  way  to  reach  it  from  the  out- 
side. 

Clarence  materialized  and  stood  at  the  opening  in  front 
while  "Snowdrop"  peeped  out  at  the  side,  giving  her  hand 
to  all  in  the  circle,  six  in  number.  Some  very  good  tests 
were  given  from  spirit  friends  in  the  cabinet,  who  could 
not  get  strength  enough  to  show  themselves.  Mrs.  Lord 
then  came  out,  and  we  all  saw  her  hands  were  tied  as 
securely  as  when  she  went  in.  We  untied  them  and  had  a 
little  rest,  after  which,  she  went  back  again.  We  handed 
the  rope  to  Clarence,  who  came  to  the  openinir.     He  tied 


370  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

her  hands  behind  her,  then  secured  her  feet  and  tied  her 
to  the  chair.  Then  the  curtain  opened,  and  a  large  Indian, 
Kaolah,  lifted  her  in  the  chair  and  carried  her  out  into  the 
room.  We  had  a  good  job  in  untying  the  knots,  but  finally 
succeeded.  Then  we  tied  her  again,  and  she  went  into  the 
cabinet,  myself  and  Mr.  Read  accompanying  her.  We  stood 
by  her  side  while  the  spirits  untied  the  rope.  While  the 
spirits  were  untying  her  we  felt  spirit  hands  on  our  heads 
and  backs  and  heard  voices  talking  to  us.  Then  we  came 
out,  and  while  Mrs.  Lord  stood  just  outside  of  the  curtain, 
and  Mrs.  R.  was  standing  in  front  of  her,  a  large  Indian 
put  out  his  hand  over  her  head  and  touched  Mrs.  R.  Mrs. 
Lord  is  not  entranced  during  materializations. 

Mrs.  A.  W.  Read. 

IDENTITY  OP   SPIRIT. 

While  holding  a  seance,  several  miles  from  Decatur, 
Mich.,  at  Mr.  Osborne's  home,  the  spirit  of  a  lady  came  and 
was  described  by  Mrs.  Lord  so  accurately  that  the  family  in- 
stantly recognized  her  as  a  relative,  an  aunt  of  Mrs.  Os- 
borne. She  gave  her  name,  as  well.  There  was  no  question 
about  the  identity  of  the  spirit,  but  the  family  did  not 
know  that  the  woman  was  dead,  as  they  had  received  a 
letter  from  her  only  a  few  days  before.  At  the  close  of  the 
seance  they  gave  the  medium  an  album  and  asked  her  if 
she  could  pick  out  the  photograph  of  the  lady.  She  looked 
the  album  through,  carefully,  and  handed  it  back,  saying, 
''Her  picture  is  not  in  this  album." 

They  gave  her  another  album,  and,  on  looking  it 
through,  she  handed  it  to  Mr.  Osborne,  saying,  "That  is 
her  picture— that  is  the  face  I  saw  in  the  seance."  It  was 
the  one  she  had  described  to  them  and  whose  name  had 
been  given  by  the.  voice  in  the  seance.  When  she  was  be- 
ing described  in  the  seance  and  when  the  family  persisted 
in  saying  she  was  alive,  the  voice  asserted  that  she  had 
died,  but  was  not  dead. 

The  next  morning,  Mr.  Osborne  drove  to  town  and  tele- 
graphed to  the  aunt's  home,  in  one  of  the  Eastern  states, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     L1FK.  371 

ami  found  it  w.-is  all  true  as  reported  in  the  seance,  that 
she  bad  died  a  few  days  before. 

While  holding  a  cabinet  seance  at  Mr.  Orvis'  home,  at 

Oakfield,  Wisconsin,  the  spirit  of  a  man  came  and  showed 
himself  and  gave  his  name:  He  said  he  lived  in  Western 
New  York  near  Jamestown;  that  he  knew  bnt  one  person  in 
the  room;  that  he  was  a  relative  of  Mrs.  Dr.  Hooker  in 
Fondulac  and  that  he  would  like  to  have  the  medium  tell 
Mrs.  Hooker  that  he  was  dead  and  had  come  to  inform  her 
before  the  funeral.  In  a  few  days  Mrs.  Hooker  received  a 
letter  from  her  sister  verifying  the  fact. 

While  the  medium  and  her  husband  were  temporarily 
stopping  in  Kansas  City.  Mo.,  she  awoke  one  morning  about 
seven  o'clock  and  awakening  her  husband,  said:  "Your 
mother  1.  1  away."    They  knew  she  was  siek,  but  at 

last  accounts  was  not  considered  dangerously  ill.  He  asked 
how  she  knew,  and  she  replied,  "I  see  her  standing  there 
at  the  foot  of  the  bed."  Never  for  an  instant  doubting 
the  accuracy  of  the  statement,  he  made  every  arrangement 
to  leave  for  New  York  on  the  first  train. 

They  boarded  at  the  time  with  Dr.  T.  A.  Kimmell.  On 
going  to  breakfast  that  morning.  Mrs.  Emma  J.  Kimmell,  an 
honest  and  most  excellent  medium,  before  anything  was 
said,  turned  to  him  and  said:  "I  think  your  mother  has 
passed  away." 

"What  makes  you  think  so?"  was  his  reply.  She 
said:     "I  see  the  home,  and  it  is  so  quiet  and  peaceful." 

On  leaving  the  breakfast  table,  on  his  way  to  the  rail- 
road ticket  office  to  secure  tickets  on  the  first  train  East, 
a  Western  Union  messenger  gave  him  a  telegram  announc- 
ing her  death  at  six  o'clock  that  morning. 

A  similar  incident  occurred  while  the  medium  and  her 
husband  were  riding  from  Los  Angeles  to  Santa  Monica, 
California.  A  spirit  came  and  said  to  her:  "Father  said 
if  you  knew  I  was  dead  you  would  bury  me  as  the  family 
have  no  money." 

She  could  not  see  the  spirit,  and  only  heard  the  words. 
She   replied:     "Why.  of  rourse,  I  would,  if  1  only  knew 


S72  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

who  you  are  and  where  your  body  is."  Later,  she  was 
controlled  by  the  little  Indian  girl,  Leotah,  who  told  her 
husband  that  this  spirit  was  her  brother,  Harry,  who  had 
been  killed  in  Jacksonville,  Illinois,  and  that  the  body 
would  be  forwarded  to  her  mother,  who  lived  in  Quincy, 
Illinois,  and  that  he  should  send  the  mother  the  money  to 
pay  the  funeral  expenses.  She  told  him  they  did  not  want 
the  medium  to  know  about  his  death,  as  she  could  not  go 
there  and  she  would  cry,  which  would  have  a  disastrous 
effect  upon  a  throat  trouble  which  she  had  and  which  was 
quite  serious  at  that  time. 

Her  husband  immediately  forwarded  the  money  by 
telegraph,  which  the  mother  received  before  the  body  of 
her  son  arrived  and  before  she  knew  he  was  dead.  She  did 
not  know  it  until  the  body  arrived  in  Quincy  and  was 
brought  to  the  house. 

The  medium  went  on  to  San  Francisco.  They  had 
rooms  at  the  Grand  Hotel  where  orders  were  given  to  put 
■  all  her  mail  in  a  separate  box  so  that  she  should  not  see 
any  letter  from  Quincy  telling  of  her  brother's  death. 
Some  two  weeks  later,  while  sitting  in  her  room  at  the  hotel, 
she  saw  a  letter  with  a  black  border  shoved  underneath 
the  door.  She  pointed  to  the  door  and  said:  "See  that 
mourning  letter  shoved  under  the  door, ' '  and  went  to  the 
door  to  get  it.     There  was  no  letter  there. 

Her  husband  knew,  instantly,  what  it  meant,  and  went 
to  the  hotel  office  and  said  to  the  clerk:  "You  have  a 
letter  from  Quincy,  Illinois,  for  my  wife." 

He  looked  in  the  box,  got  the  letter ;  and,  looking  at  it, 
said:  "How  did  you  know  it  was  from  Quincy?  No  one 
has  seen  it,  as  it  only  came  a  few  minutes  ago." 

He  was  told,  but  with  a  far-away  look  in  his  eyes, 
the  clerk  turned  away  from  the  counter.  On  opening  the 
letter,  it  was  found  to  be  from  her  mother,  who  commenced 
by  saying,  Did  God  tell  you  Harry  was  dead,  that  you 
sent  the  money?     It  came  before  we  knew  he  was  dead." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  373 

DKAKE-I.ORD. 

Leaving  Queen  City  Park,  at  the  close  of  the  meet- 
ing, in  1887,  Mrs.  Lord,  accompanied  by  a  large  number 
of  friends  attending  the  meeting  of  the  association,  went 
to  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  II.  Ladd,  at  Maloue,  New 
York,  where  on  the  19th  day  of  September,  she  was  mar- 
ried to  J.  S.  Drake. 

.Air.  Drake  was  known  in  the  West  and  South  as  a 
prominent  contractor,  and  hydraulic  engineer.  He  entered 
Middlebury  College,  (Vt),  an  institution  dominated  by 
Presbyterian  influence,  in  1862.  A  year  Later  he  left  and 
went  to  Amherst  College  (Mass.),  a  more  1  literal  institu- 
tion. In  1866  he  went  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  where  he 
studied  law.  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-four,  was  elected 
president  of  the  school  board  of  that  city,  on  the  liberal 
tickel  opposed  to  religious  teachings  in  the  public  schools 
by  the  largest  vote  ever  polled  at  a  school  election. 

From  18G6  to  1880  he  engaged  in  editorial  work  in 
Iowa  and  Illinois,  where  his  aggressive  pen  made  his 
influence  felt  in  the  councils  of  the  Democratic  party, 
until  the  Tilden  campaign  in  1876. 

In  1880  he  sold  his  newspaper  in  Rock  Island,  Illinois, 
and  turned  his  attention  to  manufacturing  business  and 
to  contracting,  building  and  money-making  pursuits.  He 
was  the  prime  mover  in  the  building  of  the  Texas  capitol, 
and  the  building  of  waterworks  at  Austin,  Fort  "Worth, 
Gainesville,  and  Dennison,  Texas,  and  in  several  cities  in 
Kansas,  and  at  this  time  had  retired  from  business  to  give 
his  attention  to  scientific  studies,  and  to  looking  after  in- 
vestments for  Eastern  companies. 

The  ceremony  was  performed  by  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Lewis, 
of  the  Episcopal  church,  in  tie'  presence  of  a  select  circle 
of   friends    from    New   York    and    Baston.      .Mrs.     Ladd's 

nt  parlors  were  beautifully  decorated,  and  after  the 
ceremony  Mr.  Ladd  presided  a1  the  banquet  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Drake  took-  the  train  for  the  far  West  with  the  best 
wishes  of  all  present.    They  made  their  home  in  California, 


374  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

at  Los  Angeles  and  San  Francisco.  They  attended  the 
spiritual  camp  meetings  in  the  East  every  season  for  some 
years  and  visited  nearly  all  of  the  leading  cities  in  the 
North,  South  and  East,  where  Mrs.  Drake  held  very  many 
seances,  which  were  remarkable  for  the  variety  and  dis- 
tinctness of  the  phenomena. 

SPIRIT  LABOR  IN  TEXAS. 
MRS.    MAUD   LORD-DRAKE   IN   TEXAS— A    TRIBUTE. 

Mrs.  Drake's  work  in  the  great  State  of  Texas  is  best 
told  by  one  of  the  prominent  and  best  known  men  of  that 
state,  Colonel  N.  L.  Norton,  of  Austin,  a  gentleman  whose 
gracious  manners  stamped  him  as  of  the  old  school;  whose 
classical  knowledge  ranked  him  as  a  scholar;  whose  en- 
gineering skill  placed  him  at  head  of  General  Beauregard's 
staff  in  the  Confederate  service,  and  later,  made  him  com- 
missioner to  build  the  great  capitol  building  at  Austin,  and 
whose  simple  truth  and  honesty — character's  brightest  qual- 
ities— endeared  him  to  the  hearts  of  every  true  Texan. 

Colonel  Norton  had  ample  opportunity  to  investigate 
and  study  the  physical  phenomena  produced  through  Mrs. 
Drake's  mediumship,  as  well  as  to  analyze  the  intellect- 
ual, sociological  and  ethical  ideas  she  presented  from  the 
public  platform.  He  was  not  only  well  qualified  to  pass 
upon  these  questions,  but  he  had  the  honesty  and  courage, 
and  that  directness  of  logical  deduction  which  caused  him 
to  avow  his  conclusions  and  his  knowledge.  In  a  letter  to 
the  Light  of  Truth,  in  1894,  he  said : 

' '  The  recent  visit  of  Mrs.  Drake  to  Texas  marks  a  new 
era  in  the  history  of  spiritualism  in  this  latitude,  and 
scores  new  triumphs  for  the  cause,  wherever  she  has  ap- 
peared, either  as  platform  speaker,  or  as  a  demonstrator  of 
its  manifold  phenomena. 

"Beginning  at  Fort  Worth  nearly  three  months  ago 
she  has  visited  most  of  the  important  cities  of  the  state. 
Her  eloquent  appeals  and  wonderful  tests  have  aroused 
an  interest  and  enthusiasm  from  the  Red  River  to  the 
sea  which  can  neither  be  hushed  by  patristic  authority  or 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  375 

partisan  bigotry.  The  courteous  and  Liberal  and  frequent 
accounts  published  in  the  daily  papers  of  North  Texas 
respecting  the  Christian  character  and  utterances  of  this 
distinguished  lady,  not  only  evince  the  general  apprecia- 
tion <>i*  those  communities,  but  have  actually  opened  to 
her  the  gates  of  this  ancient  center  of  spiritual  intolerance. 
The  result  is  that  she  and   her  husband   have  been  our 

•s  for  about  three  weeks,  during  which  time  our  home 
has  been  open  to  the  public.  So  clean  and  acceptable 
was  her  work,  so  unanswerable  and  convincing  the  testi- 
mony and  proofs  of  immortality,  that  of  the  hundreds 
who  attended  her  seances  and  private  sittings  only  a  few 
but  were  fully  satisfied*  She  spoke  in  the  Board  of 
Trad"  Hall  on  Sunday,  the  lsth  of  February,  and  was 
tendered  the  Larger  Representative  Hall  in  the  State  Cap- 
itol building  by  the  vet.  ran.  Gen.  W.  P.  Hardeman,  on  the 
25th.  Both  meetings  were  presided  over  by  Col.  S.  H. 
Darden,  ex-eomptroller  of  the  state,  and  on  both  occa- 
sions overflowing  audiences  of  our  most  intelligent  citi- 
zens were  delighted  and  pleased  beyond  measure.  Each 
discourse  was  followed  by  descriptions  of  spirit  friends 
present,  every  one  of  which  was  recognized  and  acknowl- 
edged to  be  true.  Her  words  of  counsel  and  advice  to 
the  erring,  her  earnest  pleadings  for  a  purer,  truer, 
cleaner  life;  her  matchless  efforts  in  the  line  of  higher 
thought  and  higher  education;  her  startling  pictures  of 
the  evils  of  intemperance,  the  tobacco  habit,  profanity, 
and  the  inharmonies  of  domestic  life,  which  were  prime 
causes  for  the  transmitting  of  crime,  insanity  and  im- 
becility, made  a  profound  impression,  and  necessarily 
directed  serious  reflection  upon  ideas  so  new  and  so  <_rrand. 

"Mrs.  Drake  has  planted,  in  the  genial  clime  of  T< 
a  new  theology  based  on  law  and  reason  as  well  as  revela- 
tion.      Tt   is  true  she  ignores  most  of  the  dogmatisms  of 
old  orthodoxy:  it   is  true  she  eliminates  Gabriel,  John  Mil- 
ton and  Satan,  ami  does  not   introduce  any  of  the  mys- 

08  of  theology.  Yet,  she  never  Loses  sight  of  the 
fatherhood  of  God  and  the  brotherhood  <>t'  humanity,  or 


376  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

of  a  happy,  realistic  and  enjoyable  life  beyond  the  grave. 
This  theology  foretells  an  intellectual  enfranchisement  in 
the  future  study  of  the  providences  of  God  which  shall 
reduce  many  of  his  beneficences  to  the  comprehension  of 
man.  No  frown  or  sneer  of  priest  or  pope;  no  decree  of 
sj^nod  or  moral  obliquity  of  the  human  heart  will,  or  can 
ever  effect  the  final  result. 

"The  world  is  moving,  and  will  continue  to  move,  out 
into  clearer  light.  A  few  may  discredit  their  own  senses 
and  persuade  themselves  back  into  the  shadows;  a  few 
may  be  biased  by  the  prejudice  of  file  leaders;  for  some 
cannot  learn,  some  will  not,  and  others  dare  not.  Each 
may  classify  according  to  his  own  testimony  of  himself. 
"Mrs.  Drake  does  not  antagonize  the  churches,  but 
rather  takes  them  at  their  word  and  supplements  their 
faith  in  immortality  with  proof  positive  of  the  fact;  sim- 
ply asking  them  to  accept  the  'God  of  Love,'  in  the  char- 
acter of  a  'Father  of  mercies'  rather  than  one  of  'ven- 
geance and  wrath.' 

"In  her  seances  here,  spirits  frequently  came,  spoke 
to  their  friends  shook  hands  with  them  and  gave  tests. 
"We  are,  then,  to-day,  solving  for  ourselves  the  prob- 
lem of  our  own  destiny;  each  is  preparing  the  transcript 
of  his  own  doom  in  the  assizes  of  infinity;  no  vicarious 
suffering  by  another  can  atone  for  our  sins,  no  blood, 
no  cross  can  exempt  us  from  the  penalty  of  our  own  de- 
linquencies or  transgressions;  each  soul  must  confront  the 
record  written  with  his  own  hand;  each  must  appear  in 
person  before  the  remorseless  prosecution  of  his  own  con- 
science. 

"I  may  be  pardoned  for  alluding,  in  this  connection, 
to  an  incident  which  occurred  here  in  the  presence  of  a 
number  of  well-known  persons,  namely  the  treatment  of 
an  old  wound  by  Mrs.  Drake  under  direction  of  her  In- 
dian spirit  control,  Kaolah,  when  a  highly  aromatic 
cream-colored  oil  was  made  and  applied,  and  which,  so 
far  as  test  conditions  and  watchful  eyes  could  discern,  was 
drawn  solely  from  the  atmosphere.     This  treatment  was 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  377 

repeated  at  different  times  under  circumstances  preclud- 
ing any   mistake  as  to  method  or  result. 

"We  know  deliquescence,  as  defined  by  Webster,  is 
recognized  by  the  authorities  as  a  chemical  fact;  and,  until 

science  can  tell  the  cause  of  this  action  and  control  of 
natural  law  and  this  production  of  specific  results  at 
will,  this  fact  must  go  unexplained  and  this  one  phase 
of  the  healing  art  of  mediums,  through  all  ages,  must 
still  remain  a  mystery.  Eminent  professors  and  medicos 
may  cry  fraud,  possibly  demand  protection,  but  a  fact  is 
a  tact  under  all  circumstances." — Austin,  March  31,  1894. 

SPIRITUAL   FACULTIES. 

Science  is  averse  to  dealing  with  facts  and  principles 
that  transcend  the  physical  senses.  It  labors  to  refer  all 
phenomena  to  the  known  laws  of  matter.  Indirectly  it 
has  conceded  psychic  faculties  by  recognizing  a  series  of 
mental  facts  and  spirit  manifestations,  such  as  mesmerism, 
hypnotism,  psychology,  intuition,  clairvoyance,  clairau- 
dience  and  telepathy.  It  has,  however,  stopped  short  of 
a  consideration  of  all  of  the  facts,  whose  verity  and  dis- 
tinctness stand  out  more  prominently  than  most  of  those 
upon  which  it  has  predicated  telepathy  and  its  other 
psychic  conclusions.  In  dealing  with  these  branches  of 
spiritual  science  it  has  attempted  to  eliminate  from  these 
manifestations  the  agency  of  a  disembodied,  individualized 
intelligence;  or,  in  simple  language,  to  eliminate  the  fact 
of  the  co-operation  of  the  disembodied  spirit  from  the 
results  of  mesmerism,  hypnotism  and  the  other  depart- 
ments of  spiritual  science  as  named  above.  The  import- 
ance of  the  phenomena,  as  thus  classified,  is  paramount 
to  all  purely  physical  phenomena,  in  that  the  unseen  and 
secret  process  in  nature's  Lrre;it  laboratory  are  only  per- 
ceptible through  the  psychic  ir  faculties. 

It  is  amusing  to  note  the  scramble  among  scientific 

leaders  to  dodge  the  corpuscles  with  which  radium  is  bom- 
barding their  materialistic  tl ies.  The  accidental  dis- 
covery of  the   X-ray   forced   them   to   revise  their  theories 


378  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

regarding  ether.  Radium,  Willemite,  Wallastonite,  Kiunzite 
and  the  other  radio-active  minerals  are  pushing  them  to 
an  acknowledgment  of  forces  that  they  cannot  refer  to 
nny  of  their  old  theories.  A  hundred  years  ago  it  was 
discovered  that  beyond  the  limit  of  the  extreme  violet  of 
the  visible  spectrum  there  were  certain  rays,  called  the 
ultra-violet,  that  are  invisible  to  their  physical  senses  but 
which  are  appreciable  to  the  spiritual  senses,  and  can  be 
readily  manifested  on  the  photographic  plate.  And,  yet 
these  men  coolly  dispute  spirit  photography  and  other  spirit 
phenomena.  Darwin  fell  short  in  his  conclusions  because 
he  could  see  nothing  but  "blind  force"  behind  matter. 
Herbert  Spencer  saw  only  "environment"  directing  this 
force.  Huxley  called  it  the  "unknowable  force."  While 
A'gassiz  recognized  an  "invisible  intelligence"  directing 
this  force.  He  could  not  understand  that  it  is  individualized 
and   sentient. 

Deaf  men  are  not  expected  to  hear,  nor  blind  men 
to  see.  Men,  devoid  of  spiritual  senses,  are  not  expected 
to  recognize  the  spiritual,  or  anything  outside  of  their 
own  physical  experience,  and  it  is  not  expected  that  they 
can  comprehend  spiritual  qualities.  Fortunately  there  are 
many,  such  as  Wallace,  a  contemporary  of  Darwin,  Crooks, 
Zollner,  Varley,  the  Edisons,  the  Teslas,  and  the  Marconis 
and  hundreds  of  others,  all  of  whom  have  dared  to  think 
on  original  lines.  To  mention  the  names  of  all  these  bold 
thinkers  we  would  have  to  go  back  to  the  beginning  of  the 
race  and  would  have  to  invade  every  department  of  science, 
art,  literature,  law  and  business. 

Without  any  hesitation  the  statement  can  be  made  that 
the  men  and  women  who  have  done  and  are  doing  the 
thinking  for  the  race,  who  stand  at  the  head  of  affairs 
and  direct  the  destinies  of  nations  have  developed  one  or 
more  of  their  spiritual  faculties;  and,  in  nearly  alL,  if  not 
in  every  instance,  have  been  and  are  spiritualists.  His- 
tory has  fixed  their  names  in  its  annals  according  to 
their  development  of  these  spiritual  faculties  and  their 
boldness  and  honestv  in  the  exercise  of  them. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  379 

Success,  which  is  never  an  accident,  is  entirely  due  to 
the  development  of  these  faculties  in  harmony  with  the 
infinite  force  that  evolves  worlds,  paints  the  violet  or 
vibrates  in  organic  life.  Know  the  law,  it  will  make  you 
free  and  give  you  great  dominion  over  your  own  life  .md 
that  of  others.  It  will  enable  you  "to  read  your  title  clear 
to  mansions  in  the  sky." 

WAKXED    BY    TUE    SPIRIT. 

While  holding  a  seance  in  Chicago,  a  voice  said  to 
a  gentleman,  "Go  home  immediately,  your  house  is  on 
fire."  The  warning  was  repeated  three  times  before  the 
gentleman  started.     He  arrived  there  none  too  soon. 

At  another  time  when  Mrs.  Lord  was  traveling  from 
Denver  to  Leadville  she  was  strongly  impressed  to  pull 
the  bell  cord.  The  train  came  to  a  halt  and  the  conductor 
rushed  through  the  cars  to  the  engine,  but  could  find  no 
cause  for  the  signal  to  stop.  The  train  started  and  again 
she  pulled  the  bell  cord.  The  conductor  again  hurried 
through  the  train  with  the  same  result.  Once  more  she 
pulled  the  cord— this  time  with  a  short,  jerking  motion. 
This  time  the  engineer  refused  to  start  the  train,  but  sent 
a  brakeman  on  ahead  with  a  lantern.  Just  around  a  sharp 
curve,  not  three  hundred  yards  distant,  a  large  boulder 
was  found  to  have  been  loosened  and  had  rolled  down  into 
a  cut  where  it  impeded  further  progress.  It  required  some 
hours  to  remove  it  so  as  to  allow  the  train  to  pass.  Mrs. 
Lord  said  she  could  no  more  resist  the  impulse  to  pull  the 
bell  cord  than  she  could  resist  the  effort  to  breathe. 

One  beautiful  morning,  in  Los  Angeles,  California, 
while  riding  with  Mrs.  Sanford  Johnson,  an  accomp- 
lished lady  and  one  of  the  few  genuine  mediums  for  slate 
writings,  their  horse  was  suddenly  laid  prostrate  on  the 
sand,  on  the  bank  of  the  Los  Angeles  River  which  they 
were  about  to  ford.  Ordinarily  this  ford  was  perfectly 
safe-.    There  had  been  a  heavy  rain  the  night  before,  and 

the  river  hail  CUl  away  the  bank  at  the  ford  so  as  to  leave 
a  hole  some  six  feet  deep  at  the  crossing.     To  all  appear- 


380  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ance  everything  was  all  right.  There  lay  the  horse  unin- 
jured and  looking  as  foolish  as  possible.  A  rancher  living 
near  by  came  to  their  assistance  and  told  them  if  they  had 
driven  a  little  further  they  would  have  met  with  serious 
consequences.  -  Was  the  horse  laboring  under  psycholog- 
ical hallucination,  or  some  unconscious  cerebral  action? 

In  crossing  the  continent  on  the  Santa  Fe  route  she 
told  her  husband  something  was  the  matter  with  the  for- 
ward break-beam  of  the  car  in  which  they  were  riding. 
Without  any  hesitation  he  -went  to  the  conductor  and  told 
him,  and  asked  him  to  examine  it  at  once.  The  conductor 
replied  that  he  guessed  it  was  all  right,  as  the  car  had  been 
examined  at  the  last  station.  He  said,  "Well  I  warn  you 
of  danger,  Mr.  Conductor,  and  you  had  better  heed  what 
I-  tell  you."  An  examination  was  made  and  the  train 
made  less  speed  until  the  next  station  was  reached  where 
that  car  was  left,  and  the  passengers  were  transferred  to 
another  car.  The  conductor  could  not  understand  how 
one  who  was  not  a  railroad  man  could  tell  what  was  the 
matter  with  a  car  when  he  and  his  crew  had  not  dis- 
covered it.  He  said  that  the  dropping  of  the  break- 
beam  might  have  caused  a  wreck  of  the  whole  train. 

Coming  home  from  an  evening  party  in  Cripple 
Creek  with  several  others,  she  suddenly  turned  to  a  gentle- 
man who  was  walking  with  his  wife  just  behind  her  and 
carrying  his  little  girl,  and  said:  "Mr.  Thumb  you  must 
be  very  careful,  I  see  an  accident  very  close  to  you." 

He  stopped  and  asked  her  if  it.  looked  like  a  serious 
accident.  "Yes,  very  serious,  but  I  cannot  see  what  it  is. 
It  looks  very  dark  about  you  and  you  must  be  very  care- 
ful." 

Two  weeks  from  that  night  Mr.  Thumb  was  found 
dead  and  bruised  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  of  a  mine  of 
which  he  was  foreman.  Did  the  medium's  sub-conscious 
mind  hold  this  fact  in  reserve  to  be  told  at  the  proper 
moment? 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  381 

Till:    IKON'    HAND. 

By  some  occult  system  of  calculation  Mrs.  Lord's  con- 
trols have  been  able  to  foretell  coming  events.  When  these 
events  portended  trouble  to  her, — which  could  not  be 
averted,  sin-  has  always  been  warned  by  a  dark  hand, — an 
Iron  Hand.— typical  of  the  Hand  of  Fate.— closed  with 
the  index  finger  extended.  Tf  the  finger  pointed  upward 
the  trouble  was  not  serious ;  if  it  pointed  directly  at  her 
it  was  always  quite  serious. 

There  are  hundreds  of  instances  of  foretelling  these 
accidents  and  in  many  cases  the  nature  of  the  accident 
and  the  particulars  are  given.  It  may  be  questioned  if 
these  things  can  be  foreseen  — and  there  are  too  many 
authenticated  instances  on  record  to  doubt  that  they  can  be, 
even  to  the  day  and  hour  of  their  occurrence — why  the 
intelligences  do  not  give  warning  so  that  they  may  be 
avoided.  It  may  be  because  so  few  strive  to  develop 
their  spiritual  faculties  so  as  to  be  able  to  receive  these 
warnings.  It  is  a  fact  that  many  seek  in  every  way  to 
close  every  avenue  through  which  these  warnings  could 
come  to  them. 

Mrs:  Lord,  in  speaking  of  her  own  experience,  in  a 
communication  to  the  OUvi  Branch,  a  California  publica- 
tion, said: 

"The  great  truths  of  Spiritualism  are  awakening  hu- 
man souls  from  their  fetters  and  skepticism  into  actual, 
sensitive  life;  removing  fears,  doubts  and  materialism. 

"Infidelity  is  fast  receding  before  this  broad,  whole- 
Bome  truth,  which  is  superceding  all  creeds.  The  beacon 
light  from  heaven's  high  hills  shines  upon  the  world  so 
steadily,  and  with  such  intensity  that  it  penetrates  the 
darkness   and   gloom,   conquers   the   most   positive   minds, 

aerates  and  makes  glad  the  souls  so  long  bound  and 
shackled  with  fear  and  superstition.  The  terror  and  mys- 
tery of  death  are  vanishing  like  the  morning  mists  be- 
fore this  light   from   Zion's   hills. 

"As  Spiritualists,   we  believe  that  mind  is  all  power- 


382  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ful,  that  it  is  not  matter;  and  that  spirit  is  the  controll- 
ing force  of  the  universe,  transforming  the  human  body 
into  the  temple  of  God.  We  see  and  know  that  the  visit- 
ants from  the  other  shore  are  our  loved  ones,  crowding 
life's  pathway — preparing  the  inner  temple  for  the  com- 
ing of  the  twentieth  century  religion — which  will  go  hand 
in  hand  with  science — a  religion  so  natural,  so  human,  so 
reasonable,  so  practical  and  so  just  that  all  will  gladly  ac- 
cept it. 

' '  They  are  our  darlings  who  have  passed  on  before  who 
are  now  returning,  bearing  'Olive  Branches'  of  peace; 
and  we  hail  their  coming  with  gladness  and  thank  God 
day  by  day  for  the  grand  gifts  of  mediumship.  Though 
it  has  been  my  lot  to  be  a  torch  bearer,  holding  the  light 
so  high,  that  I  could  not  see  myself  where  to  step,  and 
have  fallen  and  stumbled  often  by  the  way;  yet  have  I 
sacredly  guarded  the  light,  so  that  others  might  be  guided 
in  the  right  way. 

"My  work  is  not  among  Spiritualists  altogether,  but 
in  the  churches  as  well.  I  have  spoken  in  Baptist,  Metho- 
dist and  Congregational  churches,  always  to  full  houses 
and  appreciative  audiences;  so  that  I  feel,  I  am  reaching 
more  people  with  this  God  given  power,  than  in  days 
gone  by." 

It  may  be  asked  why  she  could  not  see  where  to  step ; 
why  one  so  obedient  to  spirit  suggestion  should  not  be 
warned  so  as  to  avoid  disaster  and  accident?  The  "Iron 
Hand"  always  gave  warning,  but  was  powerless  to  avert 
the  disasters  that  came  to  her. 

Are  these  things  like  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tides 
and  the  revolution  of  planets,  that  they  must  be;  that  they 
are  so  written  in  cosmic  law? 

Her  husband,  in  subjecting  these  questions  to  scien- 
tific methods,  asked  the  controls  to  designate  particular 
dates  and  was  told  to  look  out  for  March  13th  and  27th. 

The  13th  came,  but  he  had  forgotten  the  warning. 
The  day  brought  a  desperate  robber  to  her  rooms  in  the 
Chelsea    Flats    on    Twenty-third    Street.    New    York,    who 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFB.  383 

came  under  the  pretense  of  examining  the  rooms.  She  Lost 
some  valuable  property  and  further  disaster  was  averted 
by  her  telling  the  thief,  in  reply  to  a  question,  that  she 
expected  her  husband  at  any  moment. 

On  her  husband's  return  she  met  him  on  the  street 
and  t<»ld  him  of  her  loss,  which  she  had  not  discovered  until 

r  the  thief  had  left  the  building.  Together  they  went 
to  police  headquarters,  where  she  gave  an  accurate. descrip- 
tion of  the  thief.  These  guardians  of  the  city,  under 
Inspector  Burn's  regime,  listened  indifferently,  but  could 
not  see  "enough  in  it"  for  them,  so  they  did  nothing. 

Determined  to  be  on  guard  for  the  27th,  her  husband 
did  not  go  to  his  office  that  day.  Believing  he  could 
defeat  fate,  he  never  let  her  out  of  his  sight  and  hearing 
until  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  They  took  lunch 
with  Mrs.  Breed  and  Mrs.  Greenough,  at  the  elegant  home 
of  Mrs.  Breed,  on  Madison  Avenue,  where  they  spent 
the  afternoon.  At  three  o'clock  he  left  her,  while  he  went 
to  the  office  after  his  mail,  telling  them  he  would  take 
the  elevated  road  and  would  return  in  an  hour.  She 
promised  to  await  his  return.  He  charged  both  ladies  not 
to  permit  her  to  leave  the  room  under  any  circumstances, 
and  told  them  the  reason  of  his  request.  He  had  not  told 
his  wife  that  it  was  the  27th.  On  his  return  he  found  her 
gone.  She  thought  of  some  important  work  she  had  left 
and  the  ladies  could  not  induce  her  to  await  his  return. 
She  had  taken  a  bus  for  Twenty-third  Street.  That  par- 
ticular omnibus  of  the  hundreds  of  similar  vehicles  run- 
ning on  Broadway  was  run  into,  a  wheel  taken  off,  the 
bus  upset  and  the  passengers  were  thrown  out  and  more 
or  less  bruised.  In  walking  from  Broadway  to  Sixth 
Avenue,  a  thief  grabbed  her  little  handbag  and  badly 
sprained  her  thumb. 

What  impelling  force  drove  her  to  that  particular 
omnibus?  From  whence  the  thoughl  thai  senl  her  homet 
Why  the  lapse  of  memory  thai  made  her  forget  the  promise 
to  remain  until  her  husband  returned  from  the  office? 
Spirit    possibilities   may   be   greater   OUl    of   the   body   than 


384  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

in  it,  but  in  each  stage  of  its  existence  it  must  work  in 
accordance  with  fixed  laws,  therefore  blame  not,  others 
for  failing  to  do  what  you  cannot  yourself  accomplish. 
Blame  not  the  spirits  for  your  disasters.  They,  as  well 
as  we,  are  subject  to  the  fixed  and  immutable  laws  of  the 
universe.  You  are  as  much  of  a  spirit  as  they  are,  or  as 
much  of  a  spirit  as  you  will  ever  be.  If  you  want  power, 
ability  and  capabilities,  develop  avenues  of  manifestation 
other  than  your  five  so-called  physical  senses.  All  of 
these  higher  faculties  are  yours,  not  by  way  of  grant,  but 
inherently  yours.  Develop  them  now,— in  this  stage  of 
existence,  or  continue  to  be  "hewers  of  wood  and  drawers 
of  water," — remain  laborers  instead  of  artists  in  your 
avocations.  The  difference  between  you  and  the  suc- 
cessful is  only  a  difference  in  quality  and  quantity  of 
thought,— soul  essence  is  the  same.  The  instrument  and 
means  of  manifestation, — the  brain, — is  yours  to  perfect 
and  control.  Nature  gives  you  the  pattern  and  hints 
for  its  management.  See  to  it  that  its  casement  is  formed 
into  proper  shape  before  the  infant  skull  is  hardened,  and 
that  it  is  not  jolted  into  rude  forms;  and,  when  ready 
for  use,  do  not  cook  it  with  alcohol,  astringe  it  with  nicotine, 
neither  stimulate  or  stupefy  it  with  opium  or  kindred 
drugs.  In  all  realms,  action  and  re-action  are  equal.  You 
cannot  improve  upon  nature's  methods  in  its  care.  Life 
is  what  you  make  it,  character  is  thought  formulated  into 
acts  and  is  all  there  is  of  you.  This  instrument — this 
workshop  of  infinite  and  radiant  force, — this  brain, — with 
its  wonderful  subdivisions  and  its  delicate  material  and 
marvelous  creations  of  thought  repositories  is  yours, — 
yours  to  make  or  mar.  "As  you  sow  so  shall  you  reap." 
There  are  no  vicarious  operations  in  nature.  Evolution's 
law,  —  "the  survival  of  the  fittest," — always  rules.  As  you 
think,  so  will  you  be  here,  and  so  will  you  establish  your 
status  in  the  life  to  come.  Think  not  to  cheat  the  law. 
Stays,  reversals  and  appeals  are  not  known  in  nature's 
great  Assizes. 


J.  S.  DRAKE. 
(See  page  373.) 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  385 

I    CROWN    THEE    QUEEN. 

TO  MY  MEDIUM,  MAUD  LORD-DRAKE. 

I   come.   I  come  at  twilight  hour, 

From   my  far  off  home  in   halcyon  bower; 

I   bring  bright  sprays  of  living  light 

And  crown  thee  queen,  sweetheart,  to-night. 

For  Truth's  own  sake  thy  gentle  life 

Hath  stood,  unscathed,  through  ceaseless  strife; 

For   Truth's   own    sake,   unterrified. 

Thou  hast  been  scourged  and  crucified. 

Thy  life  has  been  a  fragile  boat 
On  a  tempestuous  sea,  afloat; 
That   with  each   ebb  and   flow  of  tide. 
Hast   shown   but  reefs  on  every  side. 

A   soldier   in    the   hottest   fray. 
Of  Might   against   Right   in   fierce   array; 
With    banner   rent   and    crimson   dyed. 
With  shot  and   shell  on  every  side. 

With  ear  attuned  to  mortal's  cry, 
With  eye  that  sees  bright  "loved  ones"  nigh. 
Thou  hast  brought  to  weary  souls  of  earth 
Sweet   messages   of  heavenly   birth. 

The  great  and  learned  from  all  the  land 
Have  listened  to  thy  guides'  command; 
Have  sought  Love's  messages  divine, 
Have  knelt  to  worship  at  thy  shrine. 

The  immortal  Lincoln,  great  and  good. 

Before  thy  guides  in  awe  hath  stood; 

Hath  sought  the  strength  from  "powers  that  be," 

That  set  a  race  from  bondage  free. 

Brave  peerless  Grant,  our  hero  true, 
Who  led  our  valiant  "boys  in  blue;" 
Our   Nation's   greatest,   truest,    best. 
Has  been  to  thee  an  honored  guest 

I  saw  thee  at  that  beauteous  vale 
Known    to  the   world   as  "Lilly   Dale," 
Home  of  the  souls  from  bondage  free. 
Temple  of  sweetest  liberty. 

I  watched   thee,  mid  thy  garnered  sheaves, 
Nailed  to  the  cross  between  two  thieves: 
Traduced,  reviled,  and  earthward  led, 

A    plat    of   thorns    upon    thy    head. 


i  J 


?,86  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

With  outstretched  arms  and  eyes  most  fair, 
Raised  oft  to  Heaven,  I  heard  thy  prayer; 
"Oh,  earth-bound  souls,  look  ye  and  live, 
They  know  not  what  they  do;  Father,  forgive." 

At  beauteous  peerless  "Lily  Dale," 
Embowered  by  woodland,  stream  and  vale; 
In  vernal  beauties  sweetly  dressed 
With  purest  lilies  on  her  breast. 

There,  crafty  minds  with  sordid  aim, 
Who  sought  their  selfish  ends  to  gain, 
Did  strike  the  cruel  poisoned  dart 
Of  envy,  though  my  medium's  heart. 

A  medium  formed  by  God's  own  hands 
To  bring  sweet  truths  from  angel  bands; 
To  light  the  weary  souls  of  earth 
And  guide  them  to  their  heavenly  birth. 

Oh,  sweet,  uprisen,  triumphant  soul; 
With  love  thy  life  and  truth  thy  goal; 
What  harm  can  come,  what  cloud  dispel 
The  angel  light  thou  know'st  so  well? 

Oh,  pilot,  true;   oh,  soldier,  brave; 
The  hosts  of  heaven  be  thine  to  save; 
To  touch  thy  brow,  to  soothe  thy  heart, 
And  peace  and  love  and  joy  impart. 

I've  loved  thee  long  and  guarded  well 
The  love  that  mortals  may  not  tell; 
I've  watched  thy  torn  and  bruised  feet 
Climb  to  the  heights  where  grand  souls  meet. 

Go  forth  anew;  at  they  right  hand 
The  loved  of  earth  in  concourse  stand; 
Speak  thou  the  truths  they  bring  to  thee, 
Till  men  shall  rise  from  bondage  free. 

Oh,  life  so  pure;  oh,  heart  so  true; 
I  come  through  fields  of  azure  blue; 
I  bring  bright  pearls  of  living  light 
And  crown  thee  queen;  sweetheart,  to-night. 

— Clarence    Wilbourn. 
New  York,  Sept.  19th,  1890. 

The  reference  made  by  the  control  to  the  envy  of 
certain  parties  at  Lilly  Dale  was  when  the  medium  vol- 
unteered to  hold  a  meeting  for  the  benefit  of  one  of  the 
oldest  workers  in  the  cause,  a  lady  who  had  been  at  the 
camp   for  some   time   and   had   not   done   anything  in   a 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  387 

pecuniary  way.  This  old  worker  was  a  lady  of  great 
ability  and  a  relative  of  a  man  noted  in  the  Democratic 
party  before  and  during  the  Civil  war  of  1861-5. 

The  clerk  at  the  hotel  on  the  grounds  wrote  a  notice 
of  the  meeting  and  posted  it  up  in  a  conspicuous  place, 
only  to  have  a  prominent  officer  of  the  association  slip 
around,  when  he  thought  no  one  saw  him,  and  tear  it  down. 
The  unaccountable  thing  about  such  transactions  is  that 
men  of  sufficient  ability  to  be  elected  officers  in  a  spirit- 
ual association,  presumably  spiritualists,  and  knowing  that 
spirits  and  controls  can,  and  do  know  all  that  transpires 
in  connection  with  mediums  and  their  work,  will  do  these 
surreptitious  things.  The  fundamental  principle  of  spirit- 
ualism teaches  that  nothing  can  be  successfully  concealed 
from  spirit  eyes  or  psychometric  investigation.  Such  actions 
belittle  the  cause  and  injure  an  association.  The  world 
measures  a  philosophy  by  the  quality  of  its  advocates  and 
men  are  measured  by  their  consummated  thought. 

CALL  THYSELF  "THE  EON." 
(Written  in  1892  by  one  of  the  medium's  dearest  friends.) 

My  Dearest  Mrs.  Drake: 

You  cannot  imagine  how  glad  I  am  to  receive  your 
l.vely  letter.  "We  have  just  returned  from  Lake  Pleas- 
ant and  Boston, — been  .absent  several  days.  Had  a  most 
delightful  trip,  such  cool  weather.  TTow  deeply  and  sin- 
cerely I  appreciate  your  confidence  and  love.  I  am  very 
proud  to  be  the  recipient  of  your  friendship,  for  your 
heart,  and  spirit  arc  proud,  and  pure,  and  clean,  and  your 
spirit  is  now  overcoming  obstacles  and  obstructions  that 
you  little  dream,— you  need  a  little  storm.-  a  little  light- 
ning to  clear  the  sky.  that  the  sun  of  all  your  blazing 
hopes  may  find  fruition.  They  will  — they  are  being 
realized,  and  focalized,  and  materialized  in  a  manner  all 
their  own  way.    God  bless  these  hidden  Bprings  of  light 

and  love  and  beauty.  They  are  harmonizing  yoilT  life 
forces   now:   gathering   in    the  sheaves  that   are    readv    to 


388  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

yield  their  wheat.  Wait  beloved  mine,  thy  soul's  quick- 
ening and  quivering  has  just  begun.  Thrice  have  I  called 
thee  and  thou  art  just  awakening  from  a  Kip  Van  Winkle 
sleep,  not  the  "spirit's  sleep,"  but  the  heart's.  Lead  us 
onward,  Oh,  Evangels  of  truth  and  light:  Lead  us  out- 
ward, Oh,  divine  wisdom!  Then  these  signs  shall  follow 
those  that  believe.  Always  remember  that  pure  love  is 
the  soul's  divine  magnet.  For  all  souls  are  biit  greater, 
or  smaller  streams,  flowing  from  the  great  central  soul  of 
the  universe,  God  is  love,  and  we  are  of  God,  and  Ave  are 
members  of  one  another.  All  true  and  holy  aspirations, 
all  beautiful  deeds,  thoughtful  acts  and  noble  efforts  are 
true  worship.  I  would  urge  you,  just  at  the  present  time, 
to  be  calm  and  quiet,  with  the  self-conscious  balance  that 
tfie  angels  need,  and  all  will  work  out  to  your  utter  sat- 
isfaction and  down  to  your  credit  and  prosperity.  "Sanc- 
tify them  through  the  truth. ' '  was  the  beautiful  and  fervent 
prayer  of  Jesus.  You  see,  dearest,  our  conceptions  of  truth 
unfold  and  develop  as  the  soul  expands  and  approaches 
the  more  perfect  standard,  the  "Absolute."  Human  life 
is  a  never  ending  struggle,  and  sometimes,  to  our  tear 
dimmed  eyes,  a  seeming  failure,  but  not  so.  God  made  us. 
The  least  as  the  greatest  shall  count  in  the  Great  beyond 
for  what  they  are  worth.  For  He  knows,  and  doeth  all 
things  well.  What  are  we?  As  souls  are  a  portion  of  the 
Divine  soul,  God  incarnate,  the  souls  of  men  and  women 
sustain  a  similar  relation  to  God  that  the  little  streams 
do  to  the  great  ocean— to  the  living  streams  of  ever- 
lasting life,  to  the  living  fountains  that  swell  the  great 
soul  of  man.  I  am  positive  that  life  and  death  are  the 
great  economies  of  Nature.  Nature's  kingdom  admits  these 
general  and  useful  divisions.  The  strictly  animal,  the 
vegetable,  then  the  wonderful  mineral  world — all  are  mar- 
vels of  order  and  beauty.  But  human  and  spiritual  is 
the  key-stone  in  the  arch  of  heaven,  that  is  the  crowning 
glory  of  all.  Find  it,— this  key-note,  sister  mine.  Soul 
growth  is  a  peculiar  process.  It  is  a  ripening  and  unfold- 
ing of  the  God  within.     The  purest  spiritual  nature.     The 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  389 

Logos  of  John  proclaims  it.  Christ  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment taught  it.  This  soul-saving,  Christ  principle  of  life 
unto  life.  It  is  the  gleaming  of  the  star  of  Bethlehem. 
The  morning  star  of  the  Apocalypse.  My  dear  Bister,  they 
chasteneth  us  after  their  own  pleasure,  but  it  is  so  done 
for  our  profit  and  our  benefit,  that  we  may  he  partakers 
of  His  holiness.  Now  no  chastening  for  the  present  seem- 
eth  good  to  thee,  hut  very  grievous  and  sorrowful,  never- 
theless, after  it  cometh  rightness  unto  thee.  These  hours 
of  agony  yieldeth  up  unto  thee  the  peaceful  fruits  for 
which  thou  didst  pray.  I  have  fought  a  good  battle.  I 
have  kept  my  faith,  but  I  have  not  yet  finished  my 
course.  My  work  must  go  on.  I  but  rest  upon  the  trust- 
ing shield  of  my  unyielding  armor.  "The  Lord  is  my 
Shepherd."  I  shall  not  want.  He  leadeth  me  beside  still 
waters.  Be  restoreth  me  my  soul.  Yea.  though  I  walk 
through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death.  I  will  fear  no 
harm,  do  evil  — for  Thou  art  with  me.  Thy  rod  and  Thy 
staff,  they  shall  comfort  me.  There  is  a  midnight  black- 
ness over  thee— now  changing  into  gray.  The  deepest 
dark  has  past— these  chasms  are  being  bridged:  shall  your 
golden,  glowing  hopes  expire?  Nay.  nay.  They  have 
just  begun  to  burn,  and  may  you  realize  that  one  utter 
spirit  moves  all  things,  moves  in  the  outer  and  deeper 
heart  of  all  nature. 

One  soul  is  the  central  light  round  which  moves 
all  souls,  and  all  souls  revolve  to  its  central  light  and  life. 
One  mighty  heart  beats  in  the  tiniest  flower  and  throbs 
alike  in  the  brightest  sun.  The  great  sea  of  life  floweth 
through  utter  seas  of  infinite  Bpace,  and  the  bright  revolv- 
ing worlds  above  are  moved,  each  one  in  their  perfect 
sphere  and  place,  and  Cod.  with  His  presence  and  heart 
of  love,  doth  illuminate.  How  dare  we  complain,  how  can 
we  become  small  and  pusillanimous  and  little  and  whin- 
ing over  the  snarls  and  petty  affairs  of  life,  so  fruitful 

after  all  of  goodl  There  we  shall  find  long  ways  illum- 
ined by  truth  and  love.  Nay,  each  loving  thought  and  deed 
of  pure  worth  shall  be  immortalized,  and  we  will  find  them 


390  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

all  there  in  the  mansions  "not  builded  by  hands."    Behold 
how  they  gleam,  how  they  shine  from  afar. 

Many  a  life  will  become  o'er  framed 
With  a  pathway  of  sorrow  and  tears; 

Every  trial  and  truth  bravely  sustained 
Will  be  treasures  in  the  endless  years. 

There  you  will  find  your  inspired  thoughts  gathered 
together  like  a  rapturous  dream,  wholesome  and  pure. 
There  will  be  found  the  dear  friends  and  relatives  gone 
before,  whose  going  made  such  sad  havoc  in  our  hearts.  We 
shall  meet  and  know  them.  They  return  to  tell  us,  "as  ye 
sow  on  earth,  so  shall  ye  reap  in  the  spirit  life." 

Now,  why,  and  for  what,  do  I  sit  here  and  wield  my 
pen,  penning  these  thoughts  that  must  astonish  you  with 
their  stupidity?  I  seem  hemmed  in  and  bound  about  by 
invisible  forces,  nor  stop  just  yet;  why  should  these 
thoughts,  these  words,  rush  on  like  some  restless  river?  I 
write  like  one  possessed,  fearing,  yet  daring  to  go  on.  I 
love  you,  hence  I  write.  Should  I  with  ruthless  haste 
unconsciously  tread  on  sacred  ground,  and  wound  thee, 
pray  forgive.  I  know  how  your  proud  spirit  would  smart 
and  hurt.  I  know  thou  art  asking  for  signs  and  symbols 
by  which  thou  mayest  be  led  unto  the  hills  of  everlasting 
light— the  hills  of  Zion,— weary,  doubting  heart.  Proof 
takes  the  place  of  faith.  Reason  takes  the  place  of  belief 
and  demonstrated  science  crowns  them  all.  Vainly  do 
men  seek  for  signs.  Why  vainly?  Because  they  seek  for 
supernatural  evidence.  They  look  for  the  coming  of  a 
material  kingdom— an  established  power  that  shall  reveal 
their  especial  religion  to  be  true. 

Those  who  search  do  not  search  with  the  eye  of  the 
spirit,  for  signs  are  here  in  plenty,  to  prove  the  power 
and  the  forces  that  tell  us  of  these  heavenly  visitations. 
Some  seek  signs  in  the  clouds,  with  the  sounding  of 
trumpets  and  the  coming  of  the  temporal  kingdom,  whose 
might  shall  restore  the  lost  power.  Some  seek  for  the 
^oice,  like  the  Angel  Gabriel,  and  the  sound  of  the  trumpet 
that  shall  call  the  dead  and  living  to  judgment.  Some 
fanatics  are  seeking  an  utter  destruction  of  the  earth,  by 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  391 

the  fire  of  brimstone,  when  the  world  shall  he  destroyed, 
as  in  a  furnace.  Though  you  know  it  not,  the  fire  is  already 
abroad  in  the  world.  The  searching  eye  of  the  spirit,  that 
searchest  all  parts,  is  near  you. — the  heavens  and  the  earth 
are  filled  with  signs.  The  air  is  darkened  with  the  changes 
faking  place,  and  that  are  to  come.  Of  "the  poor  old  man 
at  Rome,  whose  last  hours  are  nearing  and  close  at  hand, 
should  he  seek  the  acquisition  of  his  temporal  power  again" 
to  be  renewed  unto  him,  it  would  be  denied  him,  so  great 
is  the  law  of  progress.  The  old  is  giving  way  for  the  new. 
"If  the  German  Emperor,  for  the  sustenance  of  his 
material  power,  should  seek  to  build  up  the  temporal  power 
of  the  ehurch"  in  his  land  again,  he  could  not  do  it,  nor 
could  he  get  it  done.  "Rome  herself,  the  most  ancient 
mother  of  all  ehurehes.  falls  away  from  the  grasp  of  him," 
who  would  seek  only  its  material  and  external  power.  Let 
me  prophesy,  another  and  better  Rome  shall  rise,— shall 
be  erected  upon  the  ashes  of  this,  the  decaying  Rome. 
Another  church— a  grander,  better  church— shall  be  born 
of  the  true  spirit,  endowed  with  the  life  and  breath  of  the 
Infinite.  A  divine  aspiration  and  inspiration  shall  usurp 
the  plaoe  of  these  old  forms  and  symbols  of  worship.  The 
last  straggle  of  the  worldly  and  material  ehureh  is  very 
near  at  hand.  "That  form  of  religion  which  Jesus  rebuked 
when  He  denouneed  the  Pharisees  and  Saddueees  is  being 
rebuked  now  by  the  same  holy  spirit  that  comes  to  us." 
I  refer  to  the  many  aetual  truths  and  the  potent  evidence 
reeeived  by  so  many  intelligent  men  and  women  that  prove 
the  continuity  of  life.  This  eontinual  testimony.— this 
proof,  —  is  brightening  all  the  darker  plaees  of  earth.  This 
return  of  the  departed  spirit  of  man  is  working  the  leaven 
so  loner  promised.  That  portion  of  the  ehureh  that  denies 
these  manifestations  to-day  is.  in  reality,  an  anti-Christ 
of  the  aire,  while  those  great  and  wise  ones  within  the 
ehureh.  who  see  these1  siuns  and  read  them  aright,  <ind 
hear  the  voiees  and  know  the  evidence  and  admit  their 
presenee.  are  regenerating  the  ehureh  that  shall  take  the 
plaee  of  a  mere  formal    belief.     There  are  a   great    many 


392  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

responding  to  these  evidences  of  spirit  return  and  dare 
proclaim  it  in  their  church.  So  I  say,  soon,  very  soon, 
great  and  still  greater  will  be  these  evidences,  until  all 
the  earth  acknowledge  that  the  signs  so  long  foretold,  have 
been  fulfilled. 

This  pen  must  stop,  for  thou  shall  not  wax  wroth  with 
me,  when  I  would  only  represent  all  that  is  peaceful  and 
would  harmonize  and  bring  out  only  the  purple  and  gold 
of  your  inner  nature  to  Eternity's  truth  that  lies  hidden 
within  your  soul's  deep  wells.  Yes.  Publish  your  "book. 
Write  something  and  let  it  be  published.  Adopt  thee  a 
name  to  write  over.  Call  yourself  "The  Eon."  Some  one 
says  it  means  eternity  and  will  be  quite  appropriate  to 
what  you  write.  I  wish  you  every  success.  The  best 
articles  from  the  pens  of  others,  that  I  have  read  upon  the 
subject  you  have  touched  with  your  pen,  are  inferior  to 
yours.    I  shall  hope  to  see  something  soon. 

Yours  lovingly,  Josephine. 

(Jesse  Wilbourn.) 
JOHN    C.    BUNDY'S    TESTIMONY. 

Very  many  spiritualists  at  one  time  contended  that 
John  C.  Bundy,  the  editor  of  the  " Religio-Philosophical 
Journal,"  then  published  in  Chicago,  but  now  published 
in  San  Francisco,  did  not  believe  in  materialization,  because 
he  was  so  relentless  in  his  condemnation  and  exposure  of 
those  fraudulently  producing  this  phenomenon.  Colonel 
Bundy  was  a  fearless  and  conscientious  writer,  and  never 
permitted  his  paper  to  endorse  a  medium  without  he  had 
the  indisputable  evidence  of  the  genuineness  of  his  or  her 
pretentions. 

The  compiler  of  the  facts  slated  in  this  book  knows 
this  to  be  true  from  being  consulted  by  Colonel  Bundy 
in  many  of  the  cases  brought  against  him  or  threatened, 
for  what  they  would  have  the  public  believe  was  defama- 
tion of  their  public  reputation.  Few  of  these  threats  ever 
came  to  a  suit  and  none  were  ever  successful,  shoAving 
that  his  publications  were  based  upon  facts.  To  show  that 
Col.  Bundv  was  a  consistent  advocate  and  indorser  of  this 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  393 

phenomenon  we  reproduce  from  his  Journal  his  experience 
in  Mrs.  Lord's  seance. 

"Some  years  ago,  at  a  seance  with  Mrs.  Maud  E. 
Lord  (now  Mrs.  Drake),  in  a  private  house,  and  while 
the  medium,  with  her  hack  to  me,  was  conversing  with  my 
friend  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  circle,  there  came  a 
pecnlar  light  about  three  feet  in  front  of  me  and  ahout 
five  feet  from  the  floor:  it  was  about  the  size  and  shape  of 
a  large  apple;  the  glow  was  soft,  and  different  in  color 
from  any  phosphorescent  light  I  ever  saw.  Instantly,  by 
the  side  of  this  light,  there  canto  out  of  the  darkness  the 
face  of  my  son.  looking  as  natural  as  in  life,  full  of  intelli- 
gence and  expression — an  eager  hut  pleased  expression. 
The  lips  moved  and  T  distinctly  heard  the  words,  'see  me, 
papa,  see  me  papa.'  The  Bighl  lasted  hut  a  few  seconds. 
The  scene  mighl  be  compared  to  that  of  a  little  fellow  peek- 
ing around  a  corner,  with  the  exclamation,  "peek-a-boo!" 
and  then  springing  back  out  of  sight.  There  was  no  pos- 
sibility of  illusion  or  deception,  and  the  experience  was  not 
subjective. 

"With  the  same  medium,  in  a  private  house  on  Mich- 
igan Avenue,  this  city,  where  only  invited  guests  were 
present  and  the  medium  eame  unattended.  T  have  repeat- 
edly conversed  with  'Frank.'  a  son  of  Mr. ,  in  whose 

house  the  sennces  were  held.  This  spirit.  'Prank,'  would 
join  in  Binging,  and  it  was  easy  to  distinguish  his  voice 
as  well  as  that  of  Mrs.  Lord,  both  engaged  in  rendering 
the  sontr.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  'Prank'  to  sing  a 
stanza  after  the  rest  had  ceased  and  while  Mrs.  Lord  would 
be  speaking  in  low  tones  to  me  or  some  other  sitter,  de- 
scribing some  spirit  she  saw.  Xo  one  who  knew  "Frank' 
in  this  life  could  fail  to  recognize  the  voice  —  Mrs.  Lord 
never  knew  him— and  the  effect  of  his  solo  ending  of  a 
soul'  is  beyond  description.  In  the  same  house,  with  Mrs. 
Lord   as  medium,   and   with   no   possibility   of  mistake  or 

i>tion.  forms  have  repeatedly  been  seen  and  recognized; 
and  with  no  cabinet,  and  the  medium's  hands  held  by  the 
sitters. 


394  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"Some  years  ago,  at  Lake  Pleasant  Camp,  in  Frank- 
lin County,  Mass.,  I  was  invited  to  attend  a  private  seance, 
which  was  held  for  Mrs.  Leland  Stanford,  who  came  there 
solely  for  that  purpose,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Newman,  wife 
of  Bishop  John  P.  Newman.  I  sat  on  one  side  of  Mrs. 
Stanford,  Mrs.  Newman  being  on  the  other.  At  that 
seance,  Leland  Stanford,  Jr.,  came  to  his  mother  and 
manifested  in  a  most  unmistakable  manner.  There  was  a 
test  which  she  desired  him  to  give,  and  this  she,  with  much 
emotion,  then  and  there  declared  she  received.  The  privacy 
of  the  seance  forbids  my  entering  into  further  details.  I 
can  only  say  that  the  most  confirmed  skeptic,  possessing 
a  rational  mind,  would  have  been  convinced  that  the  idol 
of  his  mother  still  lived  and  loved,  and  was  there  present 
and  manifesting  in  his  own  proper  person." 

Mr.  Bundy  did  not  publish  the  name  of  the  very 
excellent  people  who  held  the  seance  where  their  son 
"Frank"  came  and  sang  so  grandly.  He  might  have  done 
so,  as  they  were  too  broad  and  liberal  and  too  grand  to 
be  ashamed  of  their  belief  in  so  great  a  truth.  This  seance 
was  held  at  Mr.  J.  H.  McVickar's,  on  Michigan  Avenue,— 
the  owner  of  McVickar's  Theatre.  Their  son  "Frank"  was 
an  unusually  bright  and  intelligent  spirit  and  "Clarence" 
used  to  permit  him  to  conduct  the  seances.  These  were 
with  one  other  exception,  probably  the  only  cases  where 
the  seances  were  conducted  by  any  one  excepting 
Clarence. 

Very  many  seances  were  held  in  Mr.  McVickar's  beau- 
tiful home,  at  which  many  of  the  most  noted  and  famous 
actors  were  usually  present,  as  well  as  prominent  people 
of  the  city.  The  harmony  in  that  home  and  the  care  exer- 
cised in  selecting  the  members  of  the  seance, — only  earnest 
investigators  and  honest  thinkers  being  invited,— made  the 
conditions  very  favorable  for  the  manifestations.  In  these 
seances,  as  in  all  of  the  manifold  seances  of  life,  results 
are  commensurate  with  the  conditions  we  make.  He  who 
is  not  in  tune  with  the  infinite  forces  of  nature,  must 
not  expect  favorable  results. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  395 

Col.  Bundy  remained  a  staunch  friend  of  Mrs.  Lord's 
as  long  as  he  lived,  and  was  always  delighted  to  send 
scientists  to  her.  He  always  said  he  could  recommend 
her.  knowing  that,  if  she  gave  them  anything,  it  would 
be  genuine. 

convincing  were  the  manifestations  at  the  seance 
held  at  Mr.  McViekar's  residence  that  twenty  years  later 
one  of  those  present,  Dr.  Edith  A.  Emmett,  whose  office, 
at  the  date  of  this  work,  was  405  Altman  building,  Kan- 
ity.  Mo.,  distinctly  remembered  the  singing  and  the 
names  of  many  of  those  present — among  the  number,  the 

I  actors,  Joe  Jefferson  and  Jno.  B.  McCullough. 

COL.   BUNDY   INTRODUCES   AX    EMINENT   SCIENTIST. 

Chicago,  Sept.  20,  1891. 
Mr.  J.  S.  and  Mrs.  Maud  Lord  Drake,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

Dear  Friends  :  "With  great  pleasure  I  introduce  to 
you   my   friend,  the  distinguished  scientist  and  psychical 

archer,    Prof.    Elliott   Coues,   also   his   delightful   and 
cultured  wife,  who  is  equally  interested  in  spiritual  things. 

Dr.  Coues  has  so  often  heard  me  relate  accounts  of 
the  marvelous  phenomena  I  have  witnessed  in  the  presence 
of  Mrs.  Drake,  and  extol  the  great  good  sense  of  Mr.  Drake, 
that  he  is  anxious  to  share  with  me  the  pleasure  of  a  closer 
acquaintance  with  you  both,  and  if  possible,  he  and  Mrs. 
Coues  would  dearly  love  to  join  with  you  in  a  season  of 
communion  with  the  spirit  world.  You  will  find  them 
genial,  reasonable  and  considerate  friends  and  investi- 
gators. Fraternally, 

Jxo  C.  Bundy. 

Santa  Cruz,  California.  Oct.  25,  1891. 
Dear  Mrs.  Drake  :  I  have  the  pleasure  of  enclosing  a  letter 
of  introduction  from  a  mutual  friend,  which  I  had  intend- 
ed and  hoped  ere  now  to  present  in  person,  but  unexpected 
business  makes  it  doubtful  whether  I  can  visit  Los  Angeles 
in  the  near  future.    Yet  I  shall  strive  to  do  so,  as  I  would 


396  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

not  like  to  miss  an  opportunity  of  meeting  one  so  wonder- 
fully gifted,  and  Mrs.  Cones  would  be  not  less  gratified 
to  have  the  same  opportunity.  Kindly  drop  me  a  line,  to 
above  written  (not  the  printed),  address,  letting  us  know 
whether  you  are  at  home,  and  believe  me, 
Very  truly  yours, 

Elliott    Coues. 

unsolicited  testimony. 

Stockton,  Cal.,  Nov.  9th,  1891. 
J.  S.  Drake,  Los  Angeles. 

Dear  Sir:  I  desire  to  congratulate  you  on  the  splen- 
did lecture  delivered  by  Mrs.  Drake  yesterday  afternoon 
to  one  of  the  finest  audiences  which  it  has  been  my  pleas- 
ure to  see  in  Stockton.  It  was  simply  grand.  It  will  do 
more  for  our  cause  than  all  the  spiritual  lectures  that  have 
been  delivered  here  since  my  residence,  three  years.  Her 
wonderful  tests  are  simply  marvelous  and  are  making  con- 
verts. 

I  trust  the  good  work  will  continue,  I  know  it  will 
while  Mrs.  Drake  is  with  us. 

Very  respectfully  yours, 

A.  L.  Foreman. 

prediction  verified. 

Los  Angeles,  Nov.  9,  1891. 
Mrs.   Maud  Lord-Drake,  Los  Angeles,   Cal. 

Dear  Madam  :  I  write  to  inform  you  that  the  informa- 
tion you  gave  Mrs.  Eugenia  Crampton,  of  Milwaukee.  Wis., 
while  she  was  in  this  city  twenty  months  ago.  has  been 
fully  verified,  much  to  her  regret. 

You  told  Mrs.  Crampton  that  her  lawyer,  who  was  then 
attending  to  some  important  business  for  her,  would  betray 
her.  The  lady  scouted  the  idea.  But  I  have  just  received 
a  letter  from  her  in  which  she  informs  me  that  your 
prophecy   has   come   true,   twenty   months   after   you   told 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  397 

her.     The  attorney  in  question  basely  sold  her  out,  and 

she  is  $4(1,000  behind  as  a  result  of  the  betrayal. 

Allow  me  to  congratulate  you  on  your  remarkable 
gift.  Yours  truly, 

Mrs.  Kate  Colveb. 

mrs.  drake    psychometrizes    for    mr.  barker,  of    santa 
barbara,  california. 

Santa  Barbara,  Oct.  1,  1891. 

Last  evening  I  met  Mrs.  Aland  Lord  Drake  at  the 
house  of  a  friend.  My  mother,  who  was  with  me,  brought 
a  small  piece  of  wood,  perhaps  two  or  three  inches  long, 
and  while  in  conversation  with  Mrs.  Drake,  handed  it  to 
her  for  psychometric  reading.  After  holding  it  in  her 
band  a  moment,  Mrs.  Drake  said: 

"You  have  bad  this  piece  of  wood  in  your  possession 
a  great  many  years:  thirty,  perhaps  fifty;  no,  not  fifty,  but 
more  than  thirty.  It  gives  me  strange  sensations.  There 
was  more  of  this  wood  when  you  first  obtained  it.  Sev- 
eral pieces  have  been  taken  from  it.  This  has  historical 
associations.  There  is  a  tragedy  connected  with  it.  Much 
could  be  written  about.it.  I  believe  its  history  would  fill 
a  large  book. 

"It  does  not  belong  to  Santa  Barbara.  I  follow  it 
far  away,  across  the  mountains,  to  the  extreme  East.  I 
see  water,  a  large  river.  No.  a  large  body  of  water.— a 
lake.  — perhaps  the  ocean.  I  see  a  hill,  not  very  high,  but 
an  elevation,  and  a  tree.  I  see  a  Large  number  of  spirits 
in  tin-  aii-  around  the  tree.  I  see  a  log  bouse.  Xo,  a 
frame  house,  but  a  very  rudely  constructed  bouse.  I  see 
Indians  and  people  queerly  dressed,  with  queer  costumes 
and  funny  Looking  bats.  It  seems  to  me  there  was  a  battle 
near  this  place.     1  see  smoke  and  bear  drums.     This  ] 

of  wood  is  more  than  a  hundred  years  old.    Vis.  two  hun- 
dred years  ago  it  was  in  a  tree.  — a  Large  tree." 

After  a    moment's   pause,  she  said:   "I   s.  e   water  and 

people  standing  on  a  rock,  and  a  queer  Looking  ship.     I 

believe   this   piece   of   wood    is    in    some   way   or   other   coil 


398  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

nected  with  the  Mayflower.  No,  I  go  away  from  there.  I 
see  a  large  building  with  four  round  pillars  in  front.  I 
see  a  dignified,  severe  looking  man  with  antique  costume 
riding  around  on  a  horse.  I  see  people  afraid  and  hiding. 
I  see  people  going  to  this  tree  on  the  hill.  I  see  an  old 
woman  with  gray  hair.  They  put  a  rope  around  her  neck. 
Why,  I  feel  that  this  piece  of  wood  is  connected  with 
Salem  witchcraft  murders." 

The  piece  of  wood  referred  to  was  presented  to  my 
mother  about  thirty-five  years  ago  by  a  Methodist  clergy- 
man. He  said  it  was  taken  from  the  tree  in  Salem,  Mass., 
upon  which  some  people  were  hung  for  witchcraft.  Shortly 
after  receiving  it,  my  mother  cut  off  either  two  or  three 
pieces  and  presented  them  to  friends  and  kept  this  remain- 
ing piece  as  a  relic 

James  L.  Barker, 

Santa  Barbara,  Cal. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

REMARKABLE     MANIFESTATION     OF     SPIRIT     I'OWER  —  KAOLAH, 
THE  INDIAN  CONTROL,  MAKES  MEDICINE. 

Denmark,  N.  Y.,  Sept.,  5th,  1894. 

The  following  remarkable  manifestation  of  spirit  power 
was  given  through  Mrs.  Maud  Lord  Drake,  at  Lake  Pleas- 
ant, Mass.,  Tuesday  evening,  August  28th,  1894,  as  testi- 
fied by  the  writers  and  signers  of  this  account. 

"As  Mrs.  Drake  was  passing  the  Severance  cottage  on 
First  Avenue,  she  stopped  to  speak  to  Mr.  Asa  P.  Pierce, 
who  handed  her  a  watch  to  psychometrize,  and  asked  her 
to  give  him  a  redding,  which  she  did  most  fully  and  per- 
fectly. She  then  turned  and  said  she  wanted  to  see  that 
little,  sick  woman,  meaning  Mr.  Pierce's  wife. 

After  holding  Mrs.  Pierce's  hands  two  or  three  minutes, 
she  Baid:  "I  believe  I  can  cure  you,  little  woman."  She 
then  and  there  gave  her  a  treatment.  She  said.  "I  will 
give  you  another  treatment  to-morrow  morning,"  which 
sin-  did.  Mr.  Drake  and  8he  remained  at  the  camp  from 
Wednesday  morning  until  Friday,  beyond  the  time  they 
had  planned  to  stay,  for  the  sole  purpose  of  irivinL:  these 
treatments. 

Thursday  afternoon,  Mrs.  Drake  came  in  and  again 
inquired  for  the  little  woman,  she  being  xrry  near  sighted 
could  not  distinguish  faces,  saying,  "I  want  to  sir  her." 

Mrs.  Drake  then   pi- d  one  hand  on   Mrs.   Piei 

ohesl  and  with  the  other  hand  rubbed  her  back  violently 
on  the  outside  of  her  dress  for  perhaps  two  minutes.    Then 


400  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

she  suddenly  stopped  and  held  up  her  hand,  exclaiming, 
' '  What  have  you  on  your  dress  ?  See,  jay  hand  is  covered 
with  grease."  Mrs.  Pierce,  very  much  surprised,  went  and 
looked  on  the  chair  she  left  when  Mrs.  Drake  came  in,  but 
there  was  nothing  of  the  kind  there.  Mrs.  Pierce's  sister, 
Mrs.  Barnum,  and  Mr.  Pierce  then  examined  her  dress 
and  found  it  as  clean  and  bright  as  new. 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Drake  was  wholly  entranced  by 
spirit  Kaolah. 

He  signified  his  desire  to  bathe  her  entire  body  with 
the  oil.  Mrs.  Pierce,  her  sister  and  husband  went  into  a 
bedroom,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  Drake,  and  removed  Mrs. 
Pierce's  clothing  and  placed  her  in  bed.  Still  under  con- 
trol, Mrs.  Drake  commenced  at  the  neck  and  covered  her 
with  oil  as  far  as  the  stomach  then  calling  our  attention 
held  her  hands  over  Mrs.  Barnum 's  head,  her  husband 
standing  within  two  feet  of  the  medium,  the  oil  dripping 
through  her  fingers.  She  then  applied  the  oil  on  her  back 
and  limbs  to  the  knees,  then  again  holding  her  hands  in 
plain  sight  with  the  palms  together,  the  oil  again  appeared, 
which  she  applied  to  her  feet,  leaving  her  body  com- 
pletely covered  with  oil;  the  control  then  called  for  soap 
and  water.  She  washed  her  hands  thoroughly  and  wiped 
them  dry,  when  Mrs.  Pierce  said  she  wished  she  could  get 
some  oil  for  her  ear,  as  she  was  deaf,  thinking  it  would 
help  her  hearing.  The  oil  again  appeared  in  Mrs.  Drake's 
hands  in  plain  sight  of  us  all,  but  it  was  of  a  different 
kind,  being  very  fragrant  (the  first  had  an  offensive 
odor) ,  which  she  applied  to  her  ears.  Mrs.  Drake  positively 
refused  any  remuneration  for  her  services,  saying  she  was 
only  too  glad  if  she  could  be  of  service  to  any  person  in 
distress,  at  any  time.  Mrs.  Drake  tells  us  this  is  only  the 
fourth  time  she  has  ever  had  this  experience  of  oil  coming 
in  her  hands  in  all  the  years  of  her  medial  work,  and  then 
only  in  very  critical  cases.  Of  course,  we  cannot  yet  tell 
what  the  final  result  will  be,  as  Mrs.  Pierce  has  been  under 
treatment  of  eminent  physicians  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  yet  has  been  on  the  decline  all  the  time,  until  there 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  401 

seemed  to  be  no  help   for  her.     This   much    ire   COT    Bay, 

she  is  feeling  very  much  >><tt<r  so  far. 

Asa    P.   Pierce, 
Mrs.  Asa  P.  Pierce, 

Denmark.   X.    Y. 
Mrs.  Irene    A.  Barnum, 

Copenhagen.  X.  V. 
Mrs.   Julia    Rockwood, 

South  Boston,  Mass. 
G.  D.  Parsons, 

Copenhagen.  X.  "i  . 

Mix.  Pierce  completely  recovered  in  a  short  time,  and 
later  met  Mrs.  Drake  in  California. 

Mr.  A.  .1.  Pethod,  of  Beatrice.  Nebraska,  writing  of 
his  experience  with  OUT  medium,  say-  : 

•In  the  fall  of  1892.  at  the  home  of  Judge  E.  W. 
Parker,  of  this  city,  on  the  occasion  of  her  first  visit  here, 
1  met  that  incomparable  medium,  Mrs.  Maud  Lord-Drake, 
with  whom  I  had  a  'sitting.'  Let  it  he  now  understood  that 
she  could  not.  by  any  possible  menus,  have  known  anything 
of  myself  or  my  relatives,  hut  she  told  me  of  my  father, 
mother,  sisters,  uncles  and  aunts,  in  each  instance  giving 
the  correct  name  of  the  person  and  in  one  instance  giviug 
the  occupation  of  one  uncle  as  that  of  a  minister,  which 
was  als,.  correct.  These  were  all  in  spirit  life.  But  our 
modern  philosophers  will  say.  'Oh.  she  <_rot  that  from 
your  mind."  Very  good.  Where  did  the  medium  get 
what  follow  s : 

"She  said  to  me.  'You  have  a  brother  in  spirit  life 
who  is  present  and  takes  great  interest  in  your  affairs.' 
'No,'  I  replied,  'you  are  mistaken.  T  have  no  brother  in 
spirit  life."  'Yes,  you  have,  as  he  is  here  now.'  I  replied, 
in  a  very  positive  manner,  that  I  did  not  have  a  hrother 
in  spirit  life.  That  if  T  have,  he  was  born  away  from 
home— meaning  therein-  that  he  was  illegitimate.  To  this 
the  medium   made  reply   in   very  emphatic,  language,  as 

follows  : 


402  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"  'I  tell  you  that  you  have  a  brother  in  spirit  life, 
and  that  he  was  not  born  away  from  -home  either.  Your 
mother  is  here  and  says  he  is  your  brother  and  was  born 
at  home.  That  he  comes  in  between  yourself  and  your 
youngest  brother.' 

"Of  course,  that  ended  the  contention,  as  she  had 
already  given  me  indisputable  evidence  of  my  mother's 
presence. 

"It  was  the  first  intimation  that  had  ever  reached  me 
that  I  had  a  'dead'  brother.    Now  the  proof. 

"About  six  months  after  this  interview,  I  called  upon 
a  sister  much  older  than  myself,  to  whom  I  said,  'Mrs. 
Drake  told  me  that  we  have  a  brother  in  spirit  life.  She 
replied,  'We  have.  He  came  in  between  you  and  James, 
and  lived  but  a  couple  of  hours.' 

"Now,  James  was  the  youngest  of  the  family,  and  I 
supposed  I  was  next  older,  until  I  was  informed  by  intelli- 
gence to  me  entirely  unknown,  if  not  as  claimed  to  be  that, 
of  my  dead  mother  and  brother." 

TESTIMONY    OP   A    MATERIALIST. 

Boston,  July  14th,  1894. 
Mrs.  Maud  Lord  Drake,  Onset  Bay,  Mass. 

Dear  Madam:  Through  the  "Banner"  of  this  week. 
1  have  just  learned  of  your  whereabouts  and  hasten  to  let 
you  know  that  I  am  alive  and  "on  the  Lord's  side"  (spirit- 
ually considered). 

Your  wonderful  tests  given  at  Ft.  Worth,  Texas,  last 
January,  followed  up  by  strict  investigation,  has  turned 
me  from  a  materialist  to  a  spiritualist. 

You  will  remember  me  as  the  one  occupying,  for  a 
few  days,  the  room  at  Mrs.  Burns'  at  Ft.  Worth,  Texas, 
and  the  one  who  put  up  a  cabinet  for  a  materializing 
seance,  which  you  kindly  gave. 

That  seance,  with  others,  before  and  since,  has  placed 
the  subject  in  such  a  light  that  I  cannot  dispute  the  truth 
of  spiritualism.     I  have  mentioned  your  name  many  times 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  403 

in  connection  with  my  conversion,  and  have  also  published 
my  experience  in  the  "Now  York  Truth  Seeker,"  and 
other  papers.  While  I  have,  in  some  cases,  discovered 
what  I  deemed  to  be  fraud,  yet  I  have  evidence  so  clear  in 
nearly  all  forms  of  the  subject  that  I  must  accept  its 
truthfulness,  although  so  wonderful  that  it  staggers  my 
comprehension. 

Yours  truly,  with  respects  to  Mr.  Drake, 

A.  D.  Swan. 

DR.    DE   HAVEN    PERFORMS    A    MARVELOUS    CURE. 

At  the  time  of  Mrs.  Lord's  marriage  to  Mr.  Drake, 
she  was  troubled  with  a  fatty  tumor  in  the  throat  or  neck, 
so  close  to  the  phrenic  nerve  as  to  seriously  interfere  with 
her  breathing.  Mr.  Drake  consulted  the  leading  physicians 
of  the  Eastern  cities  without  receiving  any  encourage- 
ment, lie  was  told  by  Dr.  W.  F.  Peck,  dean  of  the  Iowa 
.Medical  University,  who  was  a  noted  surgeon  and  an  old 
time  friend  of  Mr.  Drake's,  that  nothing  could  be  done. 
To  use  the  knife  would  be  extremely  dangerous  on  account 
of  the  growth  resting  upon  the  nerve  that  controlled  res- 
piration. At  Kansas  City  they  met  a  physician,  skilled 
in  the  use  of  electricity,  who  guaranteed  to  remove  this 
growth. 

After  treating  with  him  for  three  months  without 
any  relief,  he  acknowledged  he  could  not  do  her  any  good. 
Her  control,  Jesse,  then  told  him  that  if  he  was  satisfied 
human  skill  could  not  do  her  any  good,  and  he  would 
give  them  a  chance,  they  thought  the  difficulty  could  be 
removed.  All  they  required  was  that  she  should  retire 
from  the  public  for  a  year.    This  was  readily  granted. 

In  one  year  to  a  day  Jesse  came  and  said  they  had  not 
been  able  to  accomplish  all  they  had  expected  in  the  year, 
but  if  they  could  have  more  time  be  was  certain  they  could 
entirely  remove  the  difficulty. 

Much  was  said  by  spiritualists  all  over  the  country 
about  so  good  a  medium  being  taken  out  of  the  work.  Many 
of  them  were  not  backward   in  denunciations,   and   made 


404  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

dire  predictions  against  Mr.  Drake  for  her  retirement. 
He  was  not  one  given  to  explaining,  or  apologizing  for  his 
action,  and  those  regretting  the  loss  to  the  cause  were  left 
in  ignorance.  Mr.  Drake  never  objected  to  the  exercise 
of  her  gifts,  or  to  her  public  work.  None  were  inore  pleased 
and  none  prouder  of  her  grand  mediumship  and  the  daily 
phenomena  that  occurred  in  her  presence,  or  her  work  in 
public  and  on  the  spiritual  platfrom,  than  he.  While  not 
possessing  a  particle  of  mediumship  himself,  he  often 
assisted  in  her  platform  work  when  required,  in  discussing 
spiritualism  and  its  varied  phenomena  from  a  scientific 
standpoint. 

A  few  months  after  Jesse's  asking  for  more  time,  some- 
thing was  said  about  her  throat  difficulty  and  she  made 
the  discovery  that  it  was  gone, — entirely  removed.  How  it 
was  done  wTas  as  much  a  mystery  to  her  as  how  it  came. 

By  what  process  the  spirit  chemist,  or  operator,  obtains 
unconscious  strength  and  nerve  particles  from  the  medium 
—  and  many  times  from  members  of  the  seance,  for  his 
process  of  materialization,  leaving  them  exhausted— cannot 
be  explained  by  any  known  method  of  science.  Peculiar- 
ities of  organization,  permits  of  the  generation  of  this 
peculiar  magnetic  force,  and  this  process  of  generation 
may,  in  part,  account  for  such  physical  growths. 

VAL    SHOWS    HIS    POWER. 

While  living  among  the  hills  in  Los  Angeles,  many 
unexpected  manifestations  occurred.  The  controls  were  as 
prominent  in  their  daily  life  as  any  other  members  of  the 
family.  Grant  the  continuity  of  life. — the  individual  spirit; 
grant  the  existence  of  this  force  generated  by  vital  chem- 
istry; grant  the  spirit's  ability  to  use  this  force  in  moving 
the  smallest  amount  of  matter  the  smallest  fraction  of  dis- 
tance, and  who  can  limit  the  amount  of  matter  or  the  dis- 
tance in  any  direction  it  can  be  thus  moved?  The  facts, 
thus  far  related,  places  this  assumption  beyond  postula- 
tion  and  hypothesis. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  405 

One  eight,  Mr.  Drake  was  awakened  from  a  sound 
sleep  by  his  wife's  unusual  laughter,  supposing  she  was 
dreaming,  he  commenced  to  shake  her  violently,  when  he 
recognized  Clarence's  voice  in  place  of  her  voice.  When 
asked  what  was  the  occasion  of  his  Laughter,  Clarence 
said,  "I  have  nol  had  as  much  fun  since  I  have  been  in 
spirit  life."  lie  continued,  Baying,  "You  remember  when 
you  first  moved  here  and  was  putting  a  lock  on  your  stable 
door  how  '\';il'  told  you  you  would  not  need  any  locks. 
as  he   and   his  hand   would  see   to   it   that   no   thief  should 

get  off  of  the  property  with  anything  that  belonged  to 

you?"  "Yes,  I  remember."  replied  Mr.  Drake,  "but  I 
did  not  see  how  he  was  going  to  stop  them  if  they  came 
after  anything." 

Clarence  replied.  "You  know  that  camp  of  graders 
over  on  the  hill,  just  west  of  here  ?  They  can  see  your  hay 
from  their  camp.  Two  of  those  teamsters  thought  they 
would  come  and  borrow  some  of  it.  They  rolled  a  la  rue 
bale  out  of  the  shed  and  as  far  as  the  west  line  of  the 
lot.  when  'Val'  struck  one  of  them  hard  enough  to  knock 
him  from  under  his  hat.  As  he  sat  down  in  the  mud 
he  cried  out,  'Be  Jabbers.  I'm  shot  with  an  air  gun.'  The 
way  those  two  went  across  the  field  was  better  than  a 
foot  race." 

Mr.  Drake  and  his  father,  who  was  spending  the  win- 
ter with  them,  both  dress,.!  and.  on  going  to  the  yard, 
found   a    Large   bale  of  hay.   which    they    had    put   into   the 

shed  only  thai  evening,  had  been  rolled  oearly  one  hundred 
feet  from  where  they  had  left  it.  It  was  Lying  just  inside 
of  the  property  Line. 

Three  different  attempts  were  made  to  take  articles 
from  the  place  at  night,  and  in  each  instance  the  thieves 
were  unsuccessful.  In  two  instances  a  new  brass  faucet 
was  taken  from  a  watering  tub  at  the  back  door.  It  was 
found  each  time  about  a  fool  insidi  «»f  the  property  Line. 


400  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 


THE    NEIGHBORS    SEE    VAL. 


Returning  from  a  three  days'  visit  to  Riverside,  at 
which  time  the  house  was  left  unoccupied,  Mrs.  Drake  met 
some  boys  who  lived  about  half  a  mile  distant,  in  the 
only  house  that  could  be  seen  from  their  cottage.  They 
said  to  her,  "What  a  queer  man  you  left  to  watch  the 
house.  When  we  came  up  where  he  was  he  was  gone,  and 
we  would  hear  him  in  the  house,  but  couldn't  see  how  he 
got  in."  When  asked  to  describe  him,  they  gave  her  a 
very  accurate  description  of  "Val." 

His  care  and  protection  of  the  medium  cannot  be 
expressed  in  words.  From  the  day  he  was  shot  and 
ushered  into  spirit  life  in  the  glorious  strength  of  perfect 
manhood,  at  the  termination  of  a  hotly  contested  law  case 
at  Marysville,  Mo.,  with  every  feeling  of  resentment  and 
defiance  aroused,  he  has  protected  the  medium  and  pun- 
ished, with  all  his  great  strength  and  ability  to  control 
events  and  mould  circumstances,  all  those  who  have  raised 
hand  or  used  tongue  against  her,  and  has  brought  golden 
reward  to  all  who  have  lightened  her  burdens. 

Many  of  the  incidents  of  her  life  and  much  of  the 
wonderful  phenomena  about  her  has  come  from  "Val's" 
great  knowledge,  strength  and  power.  While  her  guardians 
and  chief  control  debarred  him  very  much  from  her  pres- 
ence, and  she  herself  has  feared  and  condemned  him  for 
the  severity  of  his  measures, — which,  though  severe,  have 
always  been  just,— he  has  been  their  reliance  and  her 
tower  of  strength  in  danger  and  trouble.  As  he  himself 
expresses  it,  "I  permit  no  serpent  to  leave  its  trail  across 
my  garden  of  flowers."  "I  permit  people  to  receive  the 
consequences  of  their  own  acts,  'Jure  Divinio.'  "  Where- 
ever  she  made  mistakes  he  soon  righted  them.  Those  who 
sought  her  for  evil  found  obstructions  in  their  way.  Those 
who  sought  her  for  selfish  purposes,  and  persisted  in  it, 
met  with  disaster. 

Among  the  most  determined  of  those  who  sought  to 
oppose  his  will  was  Dr.  S. ,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.    We  omit 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  407 

the  true  name  for  obvious  reasons,  and  will  call  him  Dr. 
Paul  Brandt.  He  was  a  talented  man,  eminent  in  his  pro- 
fession and  wealthy,  but  was  not  a  believer  in  spiritualism. 
His  story,  while  true  in  every  particular,  reads  more  like 
a  romance  than  the  actual  life  experience  of  a  professional 
man. 

A    BLASTED    LIFE. 

Paris,  France,  Dec.  22,  1879. 

My  Deab  Doctor  Benabd:  When  I  parted  with  you 
1  slated  that  I  was  about  to  take  a  lengthy  journey;  that 
1  desired  to  place  in  your  hands  on  the  eve  of  my  departure 
a  strictly  confidential  communication,  which  was  for  your 
eyes  alone;  that  it  would  contain  matters  which  I  con- 
sidered  sacred  because  of  their  private,  personal  concern 
to  myself.  The  communication  I  referred  to  you  will  find 
enclosed  with  this  note.  It  contains  some  memoranda  of 
my  most  secret  history,  and  will  unfold  to  you  knowl- 
edge that  which  as  yet  I  have  never  divulged  to  mortal 
man. 

You  have  known  that  a  deep  mystery  hung  over  my 
life,  but  could  not  possibly  imagine  its  fearful  character. 
You  know  of  my  varied  public  experiences,  and  through- 
out the  tangled  web  of  my  life  you  have  ever  been  my 
most  steadfast  and  enduring  friend.  Were  it  not  for  this 
I  would  not  feel  it  my  duty  to  acquaint  you  with  the 
mysterious  facts  that  I  am  about  to  reveal.  I  know  that 
you  will  give  a  just  consideration  to  this  recital  that  truth 
always  merits,  and  which  you  never  fail  to  bestow  in  your 
investigations  of  truth,  no  matter  how  marvelous  or  incred- 
ulous the  results  of  your  researches  may  appear.  Believe 
me,  when  I  say  that  every  recital  is  true.  But  let  the 
knowledge  you  thus  obtain  repose  in  your  mind  alone  until 
I  am  pone.  The  world  WOUld  ridicule,  but  the  mind  of  the 
true  scientist  will  bow  before  the  truth,  no  matter  in  what- 
soever garb  it  may  appear.  You  will  readily  perceive 
after  you  shall  have  read  this,  why  r  have  neve;-  heretofore, 
even  to  yon  my  most  beloved  friend  and  comrade,  spoken 


408  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

of  these  matters.  I  have  made  a  will.  It  is  in  the  hands 
of  my  long  trusted  attorneys.  They  will  acquaint  you, 
according  to  my  instructions,  with  its  contents.  And  now, 
old  friend,  I  bid  you  a  lasting  farewell.  When  you  receive 
this  letter  I  shall  be  far  beyond  the  waters  of  "Life's 
Golden  Gate."  Remember  me  as  one  whose  life  was  a 
wreck,  forever  tossing  on  the  angry  waves  of  a  tempestu- 
ous sea,  (Signed.)  Paul  Brant. 

The  enclosure  referred  to  in  the  above  letter  was  in 
the  following  words : 

"My  life  up  to  the  time  of  my  arrival  in  St.  Louis, 
in  1865,  was  uneventful.  My  capital  at  that  time  consisted 
of  a  highly  finished  education,  an  experience  in  the  hos- 
pitals of  Europe  and  New  York  of  five  years,  an  experi- 
ence as  practitioner  for  three  years,  a  few  thousand  dol- 
lars in  money  and  a  manhood  measured  by  much  knowledge 
of  human  nature.  You  did  not  know  me  at  that  time, 
but  you  will  remember  the  reputation  I  had  already  estab- 
lished at  the  time  of  our  acquaintance  in  1867.  The  dreams 
of  my  ambition  had  become  realities.  I  wanted  for  noth- 
ing, nor  did  I  realize  that  my  bachelorhood  required  the 
sympathy  and  love  of  woman  to  make  my  life  more  com- 
plete. 

"It  was  in  1867  that  I  first  met  Maud  Barrock  at 
the  Art  Gallery,  in  company  with  my  old  friend  Levey, 
who,  you  know,  roomed  at  the  Southern  Hotel.  I  was  not, 
and  never  had  been  what  might  be  called  "susceptible"  to 
woman's  fascinations.  Still,  the  very  first  view  of  this 
woman,  who  was  much  older  than  her  years  indicated,  and 
who,  as  she  looked  at  me  with  her  wonderful,  dark  gray, 
emotional  eyes,  that  seemed  to  change  in  expression  with 
every  passing  thought,  turned  the  vhole  current  of  my  life 
without  my  knowing  it.  While  distant  and  reserved,  she 
seemed  to  be  a  world  of  tenderness  and  love,  and  at  times 
all  sunshine,  life  and  song.  The  F.rst  look  of  those  eyes, 
so  soul  speaking,  has  haunted  me  ever  since.  She  had,  too, 
those  other  graces  of  person  that  attract  the  eye  of  the 
artist.  A  form,  the  embodiment  of  symmetry,  and  her  every 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  409 

motion,  a  reflex  of  her  inward  grace  and  beauty.  On  an 
acquaintance  of  some  months  with  her.  I  found  the  refine- 
ment, accomplishments  and  brilliancy  of  her  mind  equaled 
the  grace  of  her  person.  The  spiritual  element  in  her 
was  predominant  and  not  hidden  by  a  stronger  develop- 
ment of  tlie  animal.  A  just  equipoise  of  both  natures  pro- 
duced that  just  harmony  that  sympathizes  with  man.  when 
in  his  loftier  moods  he  would  rise  to  consort  with  angels. 

"Do  you  wonder,  then,  at  the  result?  I  was  in  love. 
But  who  could  know  her  and  not  love  her?  The  very 
center  of  her  social  circle  all  loved  her.  Even  the  women. 
I  believed,  loved  her.  "While  her  power  over  the  hearts 
of  men  was  undisputed,  she  was  not  spoiled ;  she  was  not 
a  flirt,  to  idly  encourage,  and  then  disappoint  the  love 
of  men.  but  sweet  and  genial  in  all  her  friendship  with  all 
men.  She  sought  not  to  win  their  love.  No  bitterness 
against  her  kind,  never  a  venomous  word,  or  a  suspicious 
thought  that  breathed  an  accusation.  A  heart  truly  at 
peace,  and  filled  with  sunshine.     Such  was  Maud  Barrock. 

"Yes,  I  believe  I  loved  her  from  the  very  first  meet- 
ing.  Vet.  I  did  not  tell  her.  unless  maybe  my  furtive 
-  at  times  spoke  the  words  I  suppressed  until  many 
months  after  our  friendship  commenced.  I  would  have 
done  so,  for  I  knew  my  own  feelings,  save  for  a  something 
on  her  part  that  appeared  unconsciously  to  repel  the  dis- 
closure. And  yet  I  was  the  most  favored  of  all  her  admir- 
ers. I  felt  there  was  a  closer  attraction  between  us  than 
existed  with  any  others.  I  felt  that  there  was  complete 
harmony  between  our  natures;  our  feelings  seemed  to  so 
exactly  correspond,  to  so  mingle  together.  We  seemed  to 
adjust  ourselves  to  each  other,  even  like  the  harmony  of 
musical  sounds,  never  ;i  discord  to  this  sweet  swelling 
melody.  I  felt  it  could  not  be  otherwise,  even  had  I  wished 
it  so.     I  sometimes  thought  she  loved  me  even  ;is  T  did  her.  T 

have  said  there  was  an  unconscious  somethin<_r  that  kept 
me  from  her,  repelling  me  from  conversation  on  this  sub- 

jeet.  It  Was  her  will.  Without  words  from  me  her  mind 
divined    my   thoughts,   and   she   seemed   to   shudder   with   a 


410  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

kind  of  dread  at  all  approach  on  my  part  to  a  disclosure 
of  my  love.  She  ^ould  tremble  and  at  once  avert  herself 
from  me.  It  seemed  to  produce  a  sort  of  horror,  that,  in 
turn,  alarmed  me,  and  forced  me  to  abandon  the  attempt 
to  come  any  closer  to  her.  Every  repeated  attempt  on  my 
part  to  break  past  this  barrier  between  us  resulted  in  the 
same  manner.  This  state  of  affairs  continued  for  some 
months.  I  at  last  insisted  on  knowing  the  reason.  I  did  not 
ask  her  for  her  love.  I  told  her  she  must  know  that  I  loved 
her,  and  why  was  I  not  permitted  to  tell  her  of  this,  which 
to  me,  was  the  richest  possession  of  earth  and  heaven.  But 
why,  I  entreated  her,  must  I  never  speak  of  that  love,  and 
why  would  she  not  permit  me  to  ask  the  love  I  felt  might 
be  told  and  pledged  in  sacred  union. 

*  At  last,  seeing  there  could  be  no  longer  any  further 
evasion  or  postponement,  she  paused  a  moment  in  deepest 
emotion,  and  then  replied :  ' '  Paul,  do  not  blame  me  that  I 
have  tried  to  defer  this  moment,  or  to  keep  you  from  know- 
ing what  you  now  force  me  to  disclose.  A  terrible  power  I 
cannot  control  seems  to  bear  me  onward  to  an  end  I  cannot 
foresee.  God  and  the  angels  know  how  precious  love  would 
be  to  me.  But  a  dread,  an  awful  fear  for'you  has  made  me 
try  to  postpone  this  avowal,  and  to  avert  it,  even  entirely, 
if  possible.  Are  my  words  mysterious  to  you,  Paul  ?  Then 
listen,  and  you  shall  fully  understand. 

' '  Before  I  ever  met  you,  or  heard  of  you  even,  I  had  a 
lover,  Valleur  Dupree,  whom  I  called,  'Val.'  He  was  tall, 
commanding,  black-eyed,  swarthy-faced,  quick,  bold  and 
passionate.  He  was  a  lawyer  by  profession,  and  had  most 
of  those  traits  of  feature,  person,  and  mind  that  charm 
women.  I  never  really  loved  him,  but  with  my  girlish 
fancies,  proud  of  such  a  handsome  lover,  I  imagined  I  did. 
We  became  engpfred.  He  was  imperious,  jealous,  dicta- 
torial. I  chafed  under  his  unreasoning  jealously  and  dicta- 
tion. I  saw  the  selfishness  of  his  nature,  and  shrinking 
from  a  union  with  a  temper  and  nature  such  as  his,  I  told 
him  our  paths  lay  apart;  that  T  could  never  be  happy  in  a 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  411 

union  with  him.  Be  became  furiously  angry,  maddened 
almost,  at  my  decision.  lie  then  took  a  dreadful  oath  that 
no  living  man  should  ever  hold  me  to  his  heart  and  possess 
my  love;  that,  living  or  dead,  he  claimed  me  as  his;  that 
neither  the  powers  of  Heaven  or  hell  should  tear  me  away 
from  him,  and  that  should  I  ever  bestow  my  love  upon 
another,  he  would  forever  blast  both  him  and  me,  even  if 
he  should  rise  from  the  grave  to  do  it. 

"Oh,  Paul,  I  need  not  tell  you  that  his  awful  threat 
rang  in  my  ears  with  a  dismal  sound,  as  he  rushed  out  of 
the  house,  for  I  well  knew  his  fearful  passions  and  mad- 
dened jealousy  would  make  him  hesitate  at  nothing.  When, 
therefore,  a  few  days  after,  he  was  called  to  the  northern 
part  of  the  stale  upon  some  professional  business,  he 
became  engaged  in  a  sudden  quarrel,  in  the  midst  of  which 
he  was  shot  dead.  I  am  sure  you  will  understand  why  I 
felt  relieved  of  a  terrible  and  oppressive  fear,  but  that 
threat  has  haunted  me  ever  since.  There  are  times  when 
I  am  conscious  of  his  presence  around  me,  and  it  throws 
a  pall  upon  my  spirits,  and  a  feeling  of  dread  and  of  im- 
pending disaster  that  I  cannot  overpower  or  drive  away.  It 
may  be  foolish  to  entertain  such  feelings,  but  knowing  as 
I  do  the  power  of  spirits  who  step  into  the  next  life  sud- 
denly with  all  their  strength  unimpaired  by  sickness,  with 
great  wills  and  unusual  intelligence  to  grasp  the  infinite 
forces,  there  is  nothing  they  cannot  do.  He,  with  his  dom- 
inating will,  is  a  leader,  and  commands  great  forces  for 
good  or  evil." 

How  I  laughed  at  Maud's  fears!  I  called  them  girlish 
fancies  and  nervous  whims.  I  ridiculed  the  powers  of  the 
dead  to  interfere  with,  or  control,  the  destiny  and  happi- 
ness  of  the  living.  To  my  utmost  I  endeavored  to  calm  her 
fears   and   banish   her  dismal    apprehensions.      I   eonld   not 

wholly  succeed,  and  this  want  of  siirerss.  in  a  measure,  de- 
my own  mind.  ,  r.  however,  attributed  it  to  her 
nervous  sympathies,  which.  I  felt,  after  the  terrible  shock 
of  an  encounter  with  a  man  of  such  bold  ami  resolute  na- 
ture. ,-is  undoubtedly  Valleur  Dupree  had  been,  would  easily 


412  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

be  impressed  with  the  memories  of  his  threats,  and  retain 
those  impressions  for  an  exceedingly  long  period.  People 
of  a  keen,  nervous,  sympathetic  nature,  after  Maud's  type, 
I  had  long  observed  in  my  medical  practice,  were  wont  to 
be  influenced  by  the  slightest  causes.  Hence  I  concluded  to 
leave  it  to  time  to  dissipate  her  illusions. 

Maud  showed  me  now,  for  the  first  time,  a  photograph 
of  this  passionate  man,  this  unyielding  lover.  It  was  a 
picture  of  a  man  whose  face  I  had  occasionally  seen  on  the 
streets  of  St.  Louis.  His  face  was  repulsive  to  me,  although 
he  would  be  called  a  superb  and  magnificent  man  by  most 
women.  It  was  the  want  of  spirituality  that  rendered  it 
distasteful  to  me.  It  indicated  a  nature  that  lived  on  the 
animal  plane,  that  did  not  know  the  loftier  ideal  world 
which  makes  the  poet,  the  artist  and  master  of  song. 

I  parted  from  Maud  that  evening  with  her  benedic- 
tion, it  drove  away  from  my  mind  all  thoughts  of  Valleur 
Dupree.  In  this  spirit,  therefore,  I  left  her  and  returned 
to  my  apartments.  A  little  fire  slumbered  in  the  grate, 
just  sufficient  to  throw  a  pleasant  glow  and  warmth  about 
the  room.  I  was  not  in  a  humor  to  retire  to  my  bed;  so 
throwing  off  my  coat,  and  donning  my  slippers,  I  wheeled 
my  easy  chair  before  the  grate,  lit  a  cigar,  and  with  heart  all 
aglow,  lay  back  in  the  chair  in  reverie.  I  had  not  lit  the 
gas.  The  soft  light  from  the  grate  accorded  with  my  feel- 
ings as  in  fancy  this  new  world  opened  up  before  me. 

How  long  I  sat  there  I  cannot  tell,  when  suddenly  I 
felt  a  presence  in  the  room.  The  door  had  not  opened.  It 
had  a  spring  lock,  and  when  shut  it  was  self-locked.  No 
one  but  myself  had  a  key.  So  on  feeling  this  presence  of 
another  in  my  room,  I  partly  arose  from  my  seat  and 
turned  around.  The  light  was  sufficient  to  easily  distin- 
guish every  object  in  the  room.  In  the  center,  under  the 
gas  chandelier,  stood  a  large  marble-top  table,  well  littered 
with  papers,  ink,  writing  materials,  etc.,  and  upon  the  op- 
posite side  of  this  table,  with  one  hand  resting  thereon, 
stood  a  man  wholly  unknown  to  me.  His  presence  there,  so 
mysterious  and  unannounced,  for  I  had  not  heard  a  foot- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  413 

fall,  dot  a  sound— I  had  felt  his  presence  rather  -his 
presence,  1  Bay,  startled  me,  and.  in  Bpite  of  my  usual  cool- 
ness, I  w.-is  extremely  nervous  and  agitated. 

I  gazed  at  him  in  a  half  dazed  sort  of  way.  Clutching 
firmly  upon  the  arm  of  my  chair,  1  arose,  steadied  myself 
and  continued  to  gaze  upon  the  stranger,  lie  said  not  a 
word,  but  lifting  Ins  hand  from  the  table  he  crossed  both 

arms  upon  his  breast,  and  made  a  few  steps  toward  me 
from  the  other  side  of  the  table,  not.  however,  going  around, 
but  to  my  consternation,  advancing  right  through  it.  as  if 
it  had  been  invisible.  When  but  a  few  sieps  away  he 
stopped,  the  light  from  the  grate  flared  directly  in  his  face 
—a  swarthy  complexion,  dark  and  piercing  eyes  with  a  light 
of  lurid  hate.  What!  Great  God!  It  was  the  face  of 
Maud's  lover.  Valleur  Dupree! 

Stunned  with  astonishment,  weak  with  terror,  I  stag- 
gered back  against  the  marble  column  at  the  side  of  the 
grate.  Beads  of  perspiration  ran  down  my  brow,  and  my 
heart  almost  burst  with  its  beating.  Human  flesh  could 
not  thus  startle  me:  but  here,  gazing  into  my  eyes  with 
fiendish  hate,  was  a  visitant  from  the  spheres  of  the  dead. 
In  a  moment  Maud 'a  terrible .  recital,  her  belief  in,  and 
trembling  fears  of  that  unseen  presence  at  her  side,  her 
terrors  over  the  memory  of  that  fearful  oath  of  this  dead 
lover,  her  alarm  for  my  safety  from  his  revenge— all  these 
recollections  flashed  in  a  moment  upon  my  mind  — and  I  felt 
that  I  knew  the  object  of  his  coming.  "With  this  realization 
came  also  a  firm  decision  that  I  would  oppose  my  will 
against  his.  that  neither  flesh  nor  spirit  should  come 
between  Maud  and  me  to  separate  us.  So,  starting  up 
again,  erect  ami  firm,  T  accosted  the  determined  spirit  in 
these    words: 

"1  know  you.  Valleur  Dupree,  spirit  of  evil.  1  surmise 

what  has  brought  you  from  your  place  in  the  world  beyond; 
but.  let  me  tell  you  at  once  that  your  jealous  hate  and 
wicked  persecution  can  never  tear  Maud  away  from  my 
love.  Were  you  in  a  mortal  bo.lv  I  would  defy  your  hate 
to  come   between    us   and   OUT   happiness;   but,   dead,    and 


414  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

belonging  to  the  world  of  spirit,  you  have  no  part  to 
further  concern  yourself  with  the  affairs  of  mortals.  Go 
bade  to  the  realm  from  which  you  came,  and  leave  the 
world  of  flesh  to  its  own  pursuits." 

With  mocking  laugh,  he  replied:  "Fool,  you  are  rush- 
ing upon  your  fate,  and  to  your  own  destruction.  Maud 
is  mine,  by  her  own  sacred  pledge,  from  which  I  have  never, 
and  never  shall,  release  her.  She  belongs  to  me.  In  a  mad 
passion  she  bade  me  leave  her,  rousing  the  ugly  devil  in  my 
nature.  I  quit  her  sight  to  carry  in  my  heart  a  burning 
hell.  'Twas  in  this  mood,  caused  by  her,  that  I  met  that 
death  that  hurled  my  unbidden  spirit  to  an  unwelcome 
realm.  Not  allowed  to  enter  the  precincts  of  the  happy,  I 
am  condemned  to  walk  this  earth  by  your  sides;  but  not 
impotently.  A  power  that  you  know  not  of  I  possess — a 
power  to  control  your  destiny,  a  power  to  thwart  your  every 
plan  and  purpose,  and  to  ruin  or  upbuild.  I  came  not  to 
ruin  you,  but  to  warn  and  save.  You  must  relinquish  Maud. 
You  must  abandon  her.  She  is  mine.  I  swore  it  in  my  body. 
I  swore  it  again  in  the  never  ending  world  of  spirit.  Bid 
her  farewell  forever.  Swear  this  to  me,  and  I  will  guide  you 
into  fortune  and  fame  beyond  your  wildest  dreams.  Laugh 
not  at  my  promises,  for,  by  a  law  that  feeble  man  knows  not 
of,  the  unseen  intelligences  have  it  in  their  power  to  shape 
man's  fortune,  fame  and  happiness,  according  to  their  own 
superior  wills.  Ask  me  not  why  this  is  so;  but  know  it  is 
a  great  truth,  and  that  I,  Valleur  Dupree,  can  make  you 
or  thwart  and  ruin  you.  Do  you  agree  to  my  proposal,  or 
will  you  rush  headlong  to  your  own  destruction,  and  de- 
troy  her  life  as  well  ? ' ' 

"Valleur  Dupree,  I  defy  you  and  your  infernal  pow- 
ers !  Either  in  hell  or  on  earth,  I  oppose  my  will  and  my 
purposes  to  yours;  and,  in  this  contest,  I  invoke  the  aid  of 
all  that  is  true  and  good  against  you  and  all  that  is  bad. 
Go,  hence  to  the  world  where  you  belong!" 

"Mistaken  man!"  he  replied.  "Be  it  as  you  wish! 
Yet,  ere  I  go,  I  will  leave  you  a  token  of  the  offer  I  have 
made. ' ' 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  415 

"In  the  light  of  to-morrow's  sun  you  may  say  that 
this  was  all  a  wild  dream;  hut,  that  you  may  remember 
the  demand  I  have  made  upon  you  is  a  reality  on  which 
shall  hinge  your  destiny,  I  leave  you  this  tangible  evidence 
of  my  wish  and  will." 

Bere  he  bent  over  the  tahle.  I  saw  him  use  no  pen;  he 
apparently  picked  up  one  of  my  blank  cards  on  which  was 
my  monogram,  and  then  dropped  it.  It  was  the  act  of  but 
a  moment;  yet.  when  it  fell  from  his  hand  I  saw  a  written 
message  with  signature.  The  falling  card  rattled  upon  the 
table  as  it  fell,  while  the  form  of  my  visitant  dissolved 
into  air  before  my  eyes. 

I  reached  for  the  card  he  had  held ;  the  ink  was  not  yet 
dry.    Upon  it  were  the  following  words : 

"Be  it  as  you  will.    Remember." 

Valleur  Dupree. 

This  strange  night  passed,  and  the  morning  sun  found 
me  sitting  in  my  easy  chair,  lost  over  the  startling  events  of 
the  night.  The  more  I  pondered  over  the  matter,  the  more 
I  thought  it  must  have  been  a  dream.  It  seemed  as  though 
the  hours  of  the  night  had  lengthened  into  days,  since  he 
disappeared,  as  though  his  presence  was  a  something  that 
occurred  in  some  long  remote  past.  I  really  had  doubts  of 
its  being  a  reality.  I  even  questioned  if  my  own  mind  had 
not  become  shattered  and  filled  with  fantasies.  But  when 
I  came  to  this  conclusion,  I  was  staggered  again,  for  here 
was  the  message  on  my  card. 

It,  perhaps,  would  have  been  better  had  I  told  Maud 
of  this  occurrence;  but.  fearing  the  effect  upon  her  mind, 
and  body  as  well,  were  she  to  have  this  positive  confirma- 
tion of  her  belief  that  Valleur  still  swore  to  claim  her — once 
to  him  plighted  —  T  omitted  to  confide  to  her,  what  now  was 
to  be  a  terrible  Becrel  and  anxiety  to  me  as  well. 

I  will  pass  hurriedly  over  the  events  of  the  sue ling 

few  months.  Maud  was  taken  suddenly  and  alarmingly  ill. 
Her  life  was  despaired  of.    I  bestowed  all  my  skill,  but 

without  avail.      For  hours  she   lay  oold,   and   still,   without 


416  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

evidence,  hardly,  of  life.  Her  ailment  baffled  me  and  my 
other  medical  counsel  as  well.  We  could  locate  no  specific 
disease.  The  symptoms  were  wholly  unlike  any  we  had  ever 
seen  before,  or  read  of  in  the  books.  No  medicine  produced 
any  effect;  but  silent,  motionless,  her  beautiful,  cold  face 
seemed  to  reproach  ail  the  skill  of  science,  and  predict  the 
loosening  of  the  cords  of  life.  Wild  in  my  agony,  I  was 
unfitted  for  any  duty,  and  interests  that  demanded  my  per- 
sonal attention  were  sacrificed.  I  had  made  very  large  in- 
vestments ;n  stocks.  The  bulk  of  my  fortune  was  engulfed. 
It  was  at  this  critical  time  that  my  coolest  judgment  was 
most  required.  I  had  always  been  successful,  but  now,  in 
my  wild  and  despairing  fear  about  Maud,  I  lost  my  head. 
I  gave  orders  to  my  brokers  to  buy  this  and  sell  that,  with- 
out knowing  what  I  did.  The  inevitable  result — almost  in 
a  day,  from  opulence  I  became  as  poor  as  any  beggar.  I 
cared  but  little  for  this,  though,  at  the  time.  It  was  only 
when  Maud,  as  strangely  as  she  had  sickened,  regained  her 
former  health,  that  I  realized  my  pecuniary  losses.  My 
love,  however,  made  me  buoyant,  and  I  felt  that  I  could 
soon,  in  my  professional  capacity,  place  my  life  in  easy  cir- 
cumstances once  more. 

It  was  at  this  time,  when  I  was  never  more  ardent  in 
my  duties  in  my  life,  never  more  anxious  to  excel  my  pre- 
vious reputation  for  skill,  that  the  most  unaccountable 
losses  occurred  in  some  of  my  best  cases.  Four  of  my  pa- 
tients in  the  best  and  most  powerful  families,  one  after 
another,  died  on  my  hands.  The  last  one  was  the  wife  of 
the  editor  and  proprietor  of  one  of  the  principal  daily 
political  papers.  The  case  was  not  alarming.  I  used  the 
usual  remedies,  but  without  avail.  I  could  not  account  for 
it.  I  could  not  even  explain  to  the  husband  the  cause  of 
his  loss.  He  consulted  with  other  leading  physicians,  men 
jealous  of  my  reputation  and  anxious  to  pull  me  down. 
Honestly  believing  what  they  said,  he  came  out  with  edi- 
torial comment  upon  my  management  of  the  case.  He  ac- 
cused me  of  having  murdered  his  wife  by  malpractice.  He 
even  went  before  the  grand  jury  and  secured  my  indict- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  417 

merit.  He  followed  this  up  by  publishing  full  accounts  of 
my  losses  of  the  three  other  eases  I  have  mentioned.  He 
had  no  trouble  in  finding  physicians  who  made  affidavits 
that,  in  their  judgment,  I  was  guilty  of  the  murder  of 
these  people  also.  In  this  way  the  public  mind  became 
turned  against  me,  as  it  will  sometimes  unaccountably  do,  on 
a  one-sided  statement  of  a  case.  I  was  tried  in  the  papers 
and  in  society,  in  the  club  rooms  and  on  the  streets,  and 
found  guilty.  So  when  my  ease  was  called  in  the  courts 
of  law  on  the  charge  of  murder,  I  was  convicted  of  man- 
slaughter and  sentenced  to  fourteen  years  incarceration  in 
the  state  prison. 

After  one  year's  imprisonment,  by  the  kind  offices  of 
a  few  friends,  of  which,  doctor,  you  are  fully  cognizant,  as 
you  were  the  chief  agent  in  the  matter,  I  was  pardoned  by 
the  Governor,  and  again  I  trod  the  streets  of  the  city  of 
my  home— now  a  convicted  felon,  branded  with  the  mark  of 
.•!  second  Cain  — a  blasted,  ruined  wreck. 

Do  you  wonder  then  that  I  lost  hope— that  the  world 
seemed  a  blank?  You  have  never  been  tried,  know  not  the 
weakness,  the  womanly  weakness  of  the  boldest  man,  when 
he  loses  hope,  and  he  thinks  the  world  arrayed  against  him. 
Thus  it  was  that  the  weakness  of  my  nature,  at  this  fatal 
time,  let  me  sink  still  lower  and  lower  in  the  maelstrom  of 
destruction.  I  now  gave  myself  up  to  drink — unbridled, 
welcome  drink.  Maud  had  gone  north  and  married.  What 
was  there  left  for  me?  Rumor  reached  me  that  she  had  not 
made  a  worthy  match,  and  was  not  happy.  What  might 
her  life  and  mine  have  been  but  for  the  hand  of  fate  that 
hail  seemingly  brought  me  id  my  present  condition?  I 
felt  thai  all  was  lost  to  me.  I  also  felt  that  she  would  not 
1< >ii!_r  live  with  the  man  she  had  married.  T  remembered  the 
terrible  threat  <>f  her  swarthy  lover.     But  what  was  this  to 

I  could  nol  eome  into  her  presence,  and  had  given  up 
all  such  hope. 

For  a  year  or  more  1  went  the  downward  way  with  n«' 
power  "i-  desire  t<>  stop.  I  now-  ceased  i«»  have  sober  mo- 
ments, and  yet   T  was  ever  haunted  with  a  COnscioUSneSE  of 

u- 


418  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

misery.  I  kept  informed  of  her  movements  in  Chicago  and 
learned  that  she  was  not  happy.  Was  this  unhappiness  due 
to  Valleur's  power  and  purpose,  as  she  had  told  me  so  long 
ago,  seemingly  in  some  other  life  time— not  the  one  in  which 
I  then  lived?    Mine  was  a  useless  life. 

So,  I  determined  to  end  my  career  by  suicide.  Yet  I 
could  not  leave  the  scenes  of  my  misery  without  writing  a 
last  message  to  Maud.  For  this  purpose  I  sought  the 
wretched  place  where  I  made  my  abode,  and  once  again  re- 
viewed the  golden  days.  Even  at  such  a  moment  as  this 
when  death  seemed  gladly  to  be  welcomed,  my  mind 
caressed  the  past,  even  as  a  loving  friend,  and  lingered 
over  its  sunny  spots  with  tender,  sweet  delight.  Ah,  Maud, 
what  might  life  have  been  with  you  at  my  side  in  the  days 
before  my  shame!  Your  cheery  words  and  sunny  smile! 
Your  loving  arms  and  caressing  lips !  Poet  never  dreamed, 
nor  painter  created  a  sweeter  Paradise  than  might  have 
been  ours. 

But  it  was  not  to  be.  "Not  to  be,"  and  why?  Why 
should  my  brief  hour  of  happiness  be  blasted  thus  ?  I  had 
taken  the  few  mementoes  and  letters  of  Maud  and  laid 
them  before  me  on  the  table.  Involuntarily  my  eye  rested 
on  a  card  in  their  midst.     It  bore  the  sentence:  — 

"Be  it  as  you  will.     Remember. — Valleur  Dupree." 

Like  a  flash,  the  interview  of  that  fatal  night  uprose  be- 
fore my  mind.  I  defied  his  power  to  tear  me  away  from 
Maud.  I  opposed  my  will  to  his.  He  promised  to  blast  *ny 
fortune  and  bring  me  to  ruin.  He  said,  by  a  law  we  know 
not  of,  the  unseen  beings  could  thwart  our  purposes,  and 
mould  our  destiny  by  their  superior  will.  I  scoffed  at  his 
threats ;  he  then  left  me  this  message :  ' '  Remember ! ' '  Ah, 
I  do  now  remember  it  all !  Fool  that  I  have  been,  that  I 
have  not  seen  your  hand,  Valleur,  in  all  this  work  of  de- 
struction. Even  now,  I  was  about  to  complete  it  by  giv- 
ing up  my  life.  What  terrible, — what  awful  power  is  this 
that  enables  you  to  shape  and  control  our  destiny  ?  Do  with 
me  as  you  will.  I  am  powerless  against  you.  I  have  giv^n 
up  Maud.     Is  not  your  awful  revenge  yet  glutted?     Take 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  419 

your  hand  off  me,  and  I  will  go  fur  away,  where  I  will 
never  see  her  more. 

Perhaps  I  may  have  uttered  these  thoughts  in  bitter 
tones  as  they  rushed  through  my  mind.  Or,  it  may  have 
been  that  I  uttered  no  sound.  My  impression  is  that  I 
spoke  not  aloud.  I  was  startled  to  hear  a  voice  make 
reply  : 

"You  now  know  our  controlling  power.  Yet,  I  would 
not  take  thy  life.  Keep  it.  You  have  now  promised.  You 
shall  now  know  that  our  power  to  upbuild  is  equal  to  our 
power  to  blast  and  destroy."  I  looked  upward  at  the 
swarthy  face  of  Valleur,  but  in  a  moment  it  had  faded  into 
B  cloud  of  mist,  which,  in  its  turn,  vanished  and  was  gone. 

I  cannot  tell  you  how  changed  I  was  when  I  uprose 
from  that  table.  The  intended  farewell  letter  to  Maud,  an- 
nouncing my  proposed  death,  was  changed  to  announce  my 
departure  for  Europe.  I  told  her  now  of  both  interviews 
with  Valleur,  and  sent  her  the  card.  I  showed  her  that  my 
downfall  and  ruin  was  the  result  of  his  work.  I  showed  how 
idle  it  was  to  further  contend  against  his  will  and  of  my 
final  promise  to  go  away  from  her  forever.  I  told  her  of 
my  renewed  ambition  to  regain  my  former  good  repute,  and 
of  my  determination  to  seek  a  foreign  land  for  the  upbuild- 
ing of  a  new  career.  I  told  her,  too,  what  a  life  of  hope- 
less misery  it  would  be  away  from  her,  and  that  through  all 
time  she  would  never  cease  to  be  to  me  as  in  other  days. 
She  replied  saying  that  while  our  paths  could  never  run 
together— that  her  work  must  be  for  humanity  and  the  un- 
fortunate on  life's  way— that  by  the  law  of  spirit  her  best 
thought  would  ever  follow  me  like  a  morning  benediction 
and  prayer  for  my  redemption  and  upbuilding. 

The  Franco-Prussian  war  had  just  ended   and  Paris. 

where  I  had  some  acquaintance,  seemed  to  offer  me  the 

inducements.    I  started  at  once  and  on  arriving  in 

that  great  city,  I  immediately  entered  the  hospitals  and  en- 

1  in  the  work  of  my  profession. 

In  looking  back  at  my  career  there,  it  seems  like  a  tale 
of  romance.     The  whole  country  was  one  hot-bed  of  pas- 


420  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

sion  and  fury.  France  had  been  bathed  in  blood,  and  filled 
with  the  maimed  and  dying.  What  a  field  for  the  physician ! 
Success  most  marvelous,  attended  my  efforts,  and  soon  I 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  most  eminent  professionals.  I 
was  invited  to  appear  before  the  United  College  of  Physi- 
cians and  Surgeons,  to  perform  that  perilous  and  remark- 
able operation  that  won  me  the  greatest  honors  from  all  the 
medical  societies  of  Europe,  as  well  as  the  Cross  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor  of  France,  and  attracted  so  much  attention 
at  home.  You  will  remember  how  I  at  once  sprang  to  the 
highest  point  of  scientific  honor  and  renown.  You  have 
not  forgotten  the  invitations  showered  upon  me  by  the 
great  and  learned  associations  of  Europe  to  appear  before 
them  as  their  guest ;  nor  yet  the  wonder  and  excitement 
caused  in  America,  and  particularly  in  the  city  of  my  old 
home,  at  my  grand  success.  You  sent  me  many  clippings 
from  the  press  of  America,  approbating  the  honors  con- 
ferred upon  me,  and  confessing  the  great  wrong  and  in- 
justice done  me  in  the  days  past.  Such  is  the  measure  of  my 
professional  vindication.  Nor  was  I  less  successful  as  re- 
gards substantial  results.  I  had  become,  through  the  many 
large  gifts  conferred  upon  me,  in  addition  to  my  regular 
fees,  enormously  rich.  I  could  now  justly  say  that  I  had 
already  reached  the  summit  of  professional  glory. 

Having  thus  more  than  redeemed  myself,  my  thoughts 
were  now  less  engrossed  in  my  profession.  I  found  that 
even  excitement  no  longer  diverted  my  mind  from  Maud. 
In  all  these  days  I  had  not  heard  a  word  from  her,  and  my 
soul  now  hungered  for  the  sWeet  communion  and  rest  I 
had  known  alone  with  her.  What,  after  all,  was  fame ;  what 
was  wealth  and  honor  to  a  starving  soul  like  mine  ?  In  the 
wild  frenzy  with  which  I  applied  myself  to  my  new  duties 
in  Paris  I  could  force  myself  to  avoid  this  thought  of  my 
loss,  but  now  with  the  satiety  of  all  my  efforts,  came  indif- 
ference to  everything.  I  now  shunned  the  world,  and  lived 
a  recluse.  With  this  added  liberty,  and  in  this  retirement, 
came  back  all  the  old  passionate  yearnings  for  Maud.  The 
world  was  now  a  blank,  and  life  a  constant  struggle  to  re- 


CONTLNFITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  421 

strain  my  wild  desires  to  fly  to  her  side.  I  dreamed  of 
her  by  night,  and  even  by  day,  her  seraphic  visage  floated 
like  a  vision  before  me. 

This  intense  strain  could  not  long  continue ;  I  knew 
my  physical  strength  was  giving  away;  that  each  succes- 
sive day  sapped  my  vital  powers.  Soon  I  could  barely 
walk  aliout  in  my  apartments.  I  had  ceased  to  go  outside 
of  my  hotel.  My  condition  was  soon  known  to  my  good 
friends,  the  medical  fraternity  of  the  city,  who  vied  with 
one  another  in  their  kindly  offices,  but  I  kindly  declined 
their  aid.  I  knew  that  no  medical  or  scientific  skill  could 
arrest  the  sure  collapse  of  my  poor  body  which  the  vital  es- 
sence of  my  life  was  consuming  under  this  fire  in  my  soul. 
But  I  dared  not  return  to  her.  Her  life,  I  well  knew,  or 
mine,  would  go  out  under  this  superhuman  power,  that  had 
sworn  never  to  let  go  his  claim  upon  her  soul.  No,  this  hor- 
rible, living  death  must  be  endured  to  the  end. 

Thus,  one  night  in  June,  of  this  year,  when  the  city 
was  lovely  in  her  garb  of  flowers,  I  sat,  as  was  my  habit, 
alone  in  my  apartment.  I  had  fallen  into  this  habit  of 
dismissing  my  attendants,  and  sitting  without  other  light 
than  that  of  the  stars,  indulging  my  reveries  of  her  so  far 
away.  I  seemed  to  come  nearer  to  her  at  these  times,  and 
my  mind  became  calmer  and  more  restful.  This  evening, 
I  had  flung  open  the  casement  window,  and  a  stream  of 
mellow  moonlight  gently  illumined  the  room. 

I  was  very  weak  now,  and  it  was  with  much  of  an  effort 
that  T  was  even  able  to  walk  about  the  room.  I  sat  in  an 
invalid  easy  chair,  and  the  balmy  soft  evening  air  seemed 
vi'vy  soothing  and  restful.  My  mind,  however,  was  with  her, 
and  her  gentle  and  beautiful  face,  as  in  the  olden  days. 
She  seemed  almost  again  by  my  side. 

I  suppose  in  my  reverie  T  must  have  sit  there  for  many 
hours,  for  the  noisy  hum  of  the  distant  streets  had  quieted 
into  after  mid-nighl  hush,  when  I  was  roused  by  a  <_rentle, 
cooling  breeze  npon  my  face,  .-mil  delicious  fragrance  in  the 
atmosphere.  Thai  perfume!  1  knew  it  ;it  once.  It  was  her 
favorite,  and.  whether  .is  flower  or  essence,   its  delicate 


422  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

aroma  always  accompanied  her  presence.  I  gazed  about  me, 
but  I  was  alone.  Then,  whence  this  perfume?  Even  as  I 
wondered,  a  hand, — a  woman's  hand,  plainly  reached  from 
out  of  spa*ce  in  front  of  my  very  face.  *  It  touched  my  fore- 
head, and  now  a  handkerchief  of  gauze,  softer  and  more 
delicate  than  the  down  of  silk,  fell  against  my  feverish 
cheeks.  Gently  the  gossamer  fabric  moved  over  my  face, 
and  I  breathed  a  cloud  of  Maud's  perfume.  Tenderly  and 
caressingly  the  hand  touched  my  forehead.  I  saw  an  arm 
that  seemed  to  emerge  from  the  atmosphere;  and,  then  as 
though  a  veil  had  dropped  from  in  front  of  my  eyes,  I  saw 
the  form,  the  head  of  a  woman,  clearer  the  face,  and  still 
clearer,  until  there  by  my  side,  I  saw  the  sweet  enraptured 
face  of  her  for  whom  my  soul  sought  so  long  in  vain. 

I  reached  wildly  forward ;  I  tried  to  clasp  her  to  my 
heart,  but  leceding  from  me  she  said: 

"No,  Paul,  touch  me  not,  or  you  destroy  the  power 
that  makes  me  visible  to  your  eyes."    She  then  said : 

' '  I  have  been  instructed  by  my  Oriental  guides  in  laws 
too  mysterious  and  intricate  for  your  science  to  grasp, — too 
sacred  and  dangerous  to  be  formulated  for  the  public, 
whereby  your  thoughts  reach  me,  on  the  ethereal  vibra- 
tions; and  I  am  permitted,  by  the  manipulation  of  forces 
known  only  to  the  initiated,  to  come  to  you  for  a  brief 
moment  while  my  body  lies  in  a  quiet,  darkened  chamber  in 
my  home  over  the  sea.  I  am  instructed  to  tell  you  that  my 
mission  was  decreed  by  the  Magi,  long  ago ;  that  it  was  writ- 
ten our  paths  should  not  join  in  this  existence.  My  dark- 
eyed  lover  was  but  the  instrument  to  warn  you ;  and,  failing 
in  results,  then  to  teach  you  this  great  lesson.  Your  trials 
and  your  sufferings;  and  even  your  material  triumphs, 
which  now  seem  so  empty  and  valueless,  were  but  the  means 
to  evolve  the  grandeur  and  strength  of  your  character, 
which  is  the  only  enduring  wealth  you  will  carry  with  you 
into  that  existence  where  all  things  shall  be  made  clear,  all 
questions  answered  and  all  problems  solved.  No,  touch  me 
not.  You  could  not,  if  you  would.  In  trouble  call  for  me ; 
and,  as  long  as  you  live  a  noble,  pure  life,  I  can  come  to 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  423 

you.  You  may  not  always  see  me,  but  some  prescience  will 
tell  you  I  am  present.  I  will  leave  with  you  the -sweet 
scent  of  the  flowers  I  love  so  well,  and  that  peace  which  you 
are  now  fitted  to  comprehend,  as  a  waking  evidence  of  my 
presence  in  your  day-dream." 

She  paused  ;  and.  with  her  old-time  smile,  vanished.  In 
the  place  where  she  had  stood  was  naught  but  vacancy. 

As  Val's  card  testified  to  his  presence  on  that  fateful 
night  so  long  ago,  so  the  perfume  she  loved  so  well  filled 
the  room  in  testimony  of  her  presence.  By  what  law  these 
things  are,  I  know  not.  I  know,  if  man  can  know  anything, 
that  they  ABE — and  are  as  much  a  reality  as  any  experi- 
ence in  this  life  of  mine  which  now  seems  so  vain  and  value- 
less. Think  not  these  are  fancies — phantasms  of  an  over- 
wrought brain.  I  have  no  further  doubt.  Having  lived,  I 
shall  always  live, — an  expression  of  infinite,  deific  force; 
inheriting  with  this  body  an  individuality  which  I  hope  to 
carry  with  me  through  eternity,  if  such  be  THE  LAW. 
Gladly  I  await  the  great  change,  and  until  we  meet  over 
there,  remember  me,  not  as  I  have  been,  but  as  I  am. 

Your  friend, 

Paul  Brandt. 

There  are  people  still  living  in  St.  Louis  and  in  Los 
Angeles,  California,  who  remember  this  brilliant  doctor, 
and  will  here  learn,  for  the  first  time,  these  facts  in  his 
eventf ul  career.  Life ,  is  full  of  tragedies  and  travesties 
and  no  imagination  can  picture  things  more  strange  than 
realities.  For  years  after  the  events  above  narrated.  Maud 
retained  Val's  card  which  the  doctor  forwarded  to  her  on 
the  eve  of  his  departure  for  Europe. 

EXTRAORDINARY  MATERIALIZATION. 

An  unusual  incidenl  occurred  in  the  city  of  Stockton, 

California,  which  is  vouched  for  by    several    well-known 

people  of  that  city  who  were  present  and  are  conversant 
with  the  fact.  The  seance  was  held  at  the  home  of  Mr. 
Williams. 

Among  those   present    ffere   Dr.   A.   L.   Foreman.   Mr. 


424  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

William  Lester,  an  upholsterer  by  trade,  now  living  in  San 
Francisco  and  some  fifteen  others.  Mr.  Lester's  wife  came 
to  him  and  made  herself  known  so  that  he  fully  recognized 
her.  She  stood  by  his  side  for  some  time  and  placed  her 
hand  in  his.  He  held  on  to  the  hand  so  hard  that  when  she 
left  him  he  still  retained  her  fingers  in  his  hand.  Realiz- 
ing what  he  had  done,  he  cried  out:  "I  have  pulled  off 
my  wife 's  fingers. ' ' 

He  dropped  them  on  the  floor  so  that  those  seated  next 
to  him  heard  them  strike  the  floor.  He  instantly  felt 
around  on  the  floor  to  find  them,  but  was  too  late. 

If  spirits  can  materialize  a  hand  so  that  it  is  tangible ; 
and  none  who  have  been  in  Mrs.  Drake's  seances  can  dis- 
pute this  fact,  who  can  put  a  limit  on  what  they  can  do? 
These  spirit  hands  possess  strength  sufficient  to  carry  arti- 
cles of  considerable  weight  around  the  circle  with  precision, 
exactness  and  intelligence;  and,  while  doing  this,  there  is 
no  body— materialized  body— attached  to  them,  so  far  as 
the  best  test  conditions  can  detect. 

By  agreement  with  the  spirit,  or  through  its  consent, 
these  hands  have  been  felt  up  as  far  as  the  wrist  where  all 
material,— tangible  material,— ended. 

As  further  evidence  upon  this  point,  when  these  heavy 
articles,  like  a  guitar,  are  being  carried  rapidly  around  the 
circle  and  the  sitter  extends  his  feet  or  hands  so  as  to 
reach  out  and  fill  the  space  between  him  and  the  medium 
sitting  in  the  center,— practically  covering  the  radius  of  the 
circle, — he  is  no  obstruction  to  the  one  carrying  the  guitar 
around  the  circle.  In  other  words  no  materialized  body  is 
attached  to  the  hands  carrying  the  instrument. 

There  are  many  instances  where  investigators  have 
held  these  hands  firmly  until  they  faded  and  disappeared. 
Mr.  Porter  of  Quincy,  Illinois,  who  is  considerable  of  an 
athlete,  and  quite  capable  of  holding  any  ordinary  man, 
once  grasped  with  both  of  his  hands  the  hand  and  wrist 
of  one  of  these  spirit  hands.  He  instantly  cried  out:  "I 
have  it,"  and  exerted  all  of  his  strength  to  hold  it. 

As  he  expressed  it  afterwards,  "When  I  get  hold  of 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  4^5 

any  man's  wrist  with  both  hands,  as  I  did  on  that  occasion, 
I  can  hold  it.  But  this  hand  and  wrist  melted  in  my 
hands.     I  could  feel  it  dissolve  until  I  held  nothing." 

It  is  a  safe  conclusion  that  these  materializations  are 
like  a  irlove  covering  the  hand  and  held  in  place  by  mag- 
netic force,  from  which  the  spirit  is  withdrawn  when  this 
force  ceases,  or  is  disturbed.  The  material,  in  such  cases, 
is  returned  to  the  source  from  which  it  is  taken.  In  cases 
where  extraneous  matter  is  added  to  the  materialization  it 
must  go  with  the  other  material  and  with  the  force  hold- 
ing the  same. 

A  case  illustrating  this  point  occurred  where  an  in- 
vest i>_rator  had  covered  his  hand  with  printer's  ink  and 
lamp  black.  He  shook  hands  with  Clarence,  the  controlling 
spirit  of  the  seance,  leaving  the  black  matter  on  the  spirit 
hand.    What  became  of  this  matter? 

In  this  case,  when  the  medium  retired  for  the  night, 
the  print  of  a  large  black  hand  was  found  on  her  back,  be- 
tween her  shoulders.  Had  it  been  left  upon  her  hands  it 
would  have  been  considered  positive  proof  of  fraud.  Much 
of  circumstantial  evidence  which  is  considered  stronger 
than  direct  testimony,  is  misleading  and  contrary  to  fact. 
The  wisdom  of  the  controlling  spirit  in  this  case  saved  the 
medium. 

CLARENCE    AND.  VAL   AT   A   SUMMER   RESORT. 

Sister  Lakes,  near  Dowagiac,  Michigan,  is  as  beautiful 
a  summer  resort  as  can  be  found  in  that  state.  One  of  the 
largest  buildings  on  the  grounds  was  divided  into  four  or 
five  rooms  <>n  each  side  of  a  very  wide  hall  running  through 
the  building  from  end  to  end.  Each  room  opened  out  into 
this  wide  hall. 

Mrs.  Lord  occupied  one  of  these  rooms — her  daughter 
was  in  the  adjoining  room.  Mrs.  B.  11.  Ladd  of  Malone, 
New  York:  Mr.  -I.  S.  Drake,  of  Chicago,  and  E.  W.  Sprague 
of  St.  Louis  and  later  of  Chicago,  were  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  hall.  These  were  the  only  oeeupants  of  that 
building. 


426  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

About  two  o'clock  one  morning,  the  entire  company 
were  awakened  by  the  music  of  Mrs.  Lord's  guitar  being 
played  -in  the  hall  in  front  of  Mrs.  Ladd's  room,  while 
Clarence's  well-known  voice  sang  with  words  improvised 
and  applicable  to  her.  All  could  hear  and  distinguish 
the  words. 

The  singing  and  the  music  then  moved  along  the  hall 
to  Mr.  Sprague's  room,  and  then  to  each  of  the  others  in 
turn,  coming  to  Mrs.  Lord's  the  last.  All  could  hear 
every  movement  of  the  serenaders,  the  music,  the  singing 
and  the  words.  The  words  improvised  were  applicable  to 
the  person,  and  in  each  case  their  names  were  woven  into 
the  song,  sometimes  prophetically  and  complimentary. 

Speaking  of  the  incident,  the  next  morning,  Mr. 
Sprague,  who  had  a  large  experience  in  psychic  phenomena, 
and  who  was  an  educated  and  well  read  man,  said  that  the 
manifestation  was  the  most  satisfactory  and  convincing  he 
had  ever  experienced.  It  was  so  actual,  so  realistic  and 
reasonable;  and,  that  he  would  not,  if  he  knew  it,  miss  such 
a  manifestation  for  any  amount  of  money  or  trouble. 

FISHING. 

While  visiting  this  resort  a  year  after  her  marriage 
to  Mr.  Drake,  Val.  showed  his  ability  to  assist  his  med- 
ium in  catching  fish.  Equipped  with  a  boat  and  her 
husband  to  row  it;  and,  with  almost  any  kind  of  bait, 
she  would  always  bring  in  a  string  of  large,  black  bass. 
Others,  the  best  fishermen  from  Chicago,  equipped  with 
everything  desirable,  and  with  the  best  "live  bait,"  tried 
conclusions  with  her  and  were  invariably  beaten.  She 
would  bring  in  big  fish  when  they  could  not  get  "even  a 
bite."  She  would  say  to  her  oarsman,  "Row  over  there, 
such  and  such  a  distance.  I  see  one  or  two  or  more  fish,  as 
the  case  might  be,  and  Val.  says  he  will  catch  them  for  me." 
Almost  without  exception  she  would  catch  fish  answering 
the  description  given  before  starting  for  the  designated  spot. 

At  this  time  she  remained  thirty  days  and  never  missed 
fishing  three  times  a  day  during  the  whole  time— forenoon, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  427 

afternoon,  and  evening.  She  caught  them  just  as  well  in 
the  dark  as  in  the  daytime,  sometimes  when  it  was  too  dark 
to  see  the  line  or  hait  the  hook,  except  by  feeling  for  it. 
She  catlght  the  most  when  the  water  was  still  and  when  alone 
in  the  boat  with  only  her  oarsman.  He  usually  had  all  he 
could  do  to  handle  the  boat,  as  directed,  and  to  land  the 
bi<_r  fish  after  she  caught  them.  Every  time  she  caught  a 
big  fish  slic  would  cry  out,  "I've  caught  one!  — I've  caught 
one!"-  so  thai  she  could  he  heard  half  way  across  the  lake. 
Pishing  was  her  only  dissipation— nothing  could  take  its 
place.  It  was  evident  to  all  who  came  to  the  lakes  to  verify 
reports  of  her  fishing;  and  to  those  who  sought  to  know  how 
it  was  done  that  the  control,  Val,  made  use  of  some  mag- 
netic law  whose  operation  was  known  to  him  to  produce 
these  results,  as  Jesus  did  the  third  time  he  showed  him- 
self to  his  disciples  when  he  told  Simon  Peter  to  cast  his 
net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship  and  they  caught,  accord- 
ing to  Biblical  statistics,  the  153  great  fish. 

VAL.   AND  BIS  PARTY  AT  A  RESTAURANT. 

In  the  early  experience  of  the  medium  it  is  told  how 
the  chairs  moved  up  to  the  dining  room  table  in  the  hotel 
where  she  was  employed.  This  class  of  manifestations  was 
repeated  in  after  years  when  she  was  married  to  Mr.  Drake. 
The  medium,  her  husband  and  daughter,  were  boarding  in 
Kansas  City  at  the  time  of  President  Cleveland's  first  visit 
to  that  city.  Owing  to  the  crowds  of  people  in  the  city  at 
the  hotels,  they  were  obliged  to  go  to  a  restaurant  for  their 
dinner.  Chapin  &  Gore's,  near  the  depot,  was  the  only  place 
at  which  they  could  get  a  private  table  and  a  good  dinner. 
There  were  several  large  tables  in  the  place,  some  of  which 
were  occupied  when  they  entered.  The  three  were  scarcely 
seated  at  a  table  by  themselves  when  loud  and  distinct  raps 
were  heard  upon  the  table,  their  chairs,  and  the  side  of  the 
room.  The  daughter  remarked:  "I  guess  the  spirits 
are  hungry  as  well  as  we.''  More  raps  came  in  response 
to  this  remark.  Her  mother  said:  "Hush,  what  will  these 
people  think?"    Mr.  Drake  replied  :    "No  matter  what  they 


428  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

think.     My  spirit  friends  can  take  dinner  with  me  when- 
ever they  wish." 

At  this  juncture  a  heavy  chair  moved  out  from  the  side 
of  the  room  and  slid  up  to  the  table,  to  the  astonishment 
and  consternation  of  the  colored  waiter  who  was  just  com- 
ing towards  them  with  a  bill  of  fare.  He  stopped  and 
looked.  The  attention  of  all  others  in  the  room  was  by  this 
time  directed  to  them. 

Mrs.  Drake  was  greatly  embarrassed  and  said :  "If 
you  two  do  not  stop  encouraging  them  to  do  such  things  so 
publicly,  I  will  not  remain. ' ' 

Mr.  Drake,  intent  on  watching  this  phenomenon,  did 
not  heed  her  confusion  and  said:  "That's  right,  sit  up 
here,  and  take  dinner  with  us.  It  seems  to  me  there  are 
more  than  one  of  you  in  our  family." 

In  response  to  this,  a  chair  from  the  other  side  of  the 
room  slid  up  to  the  table  with  a  rush. 

The  colored  waiter  and  all  the  other  colored  help  in 
the  room  and  those  seated  at  the  other  tables  were,  by  this 
time,  watching  the  strange  performance. 

Mr.  Drake  again  remarked,  "Good  for  you,  Val. 
Bring  up  your  own  chair.  There  is  room  for  all  of  you. 
This  table  will  seat  eight."  Another  chair  from  the  oppo- 
site side  of  the  room  slid  sIoavIv  up  to  the  table.  For  a  time 
all  business  in  the  dining  room  was  suspended. 

When  conditions  are  right  with  the  medium  and  her 
surroundings  these  daylight  manifestations  are  possible; 
but,  are  no  more  remarkable  than  those  in  the  dark.  They, 
however,  appeal  to  one  more  sense  and  are  to  some  more 
convincing  on  that  account. 

Mrs.  Drake  was  dining  at  the  Commercial  Hotel 
in  Stockton.  There  were  eight  people  seated  at  the  table. 
The  waiter  came  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  table  from 
where  Mrs.  Drake  was  seated,  with  a  pitcher  of  water,  and 
filled  three  glasses.  He  picked  up  two  of  them  and  started 
to  place  them  at  the  plates  of  two  of  the  guests.  One  of  these 
was  a  conductor  whose  run  was  from  Sacramento  to  Stock- 
ton.   The  third  glass  was  intended  for  Mrs.  Drake.    As  the 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  429 

waiter  started  around  the  table  with  his  two  glasses,  the 
other  glass,  full  of  water,  moved  steadily  above  the  dishes 

and  went  in  a  straight  line  diagonally  across  the  table  and 

gently  set  itself  down  at  Mrs.  Drake's  plate.  Everyone  at 
the  table  and  some  a1  the  adjoining  table  saw  the  glass 

move:  and.  all  eyes  were  riveted  upon  Mrs.  Drake.  She 
was  ,-i  stranger  to  them  all  and  could  not  stand  their  con- 
tinued and  amazed  scrutiny,  on  account  of  sueh  an  unusual 
and.  to  them,  impossible  occurrence.  She  left  the  dining 
room  without  her  dinner.  The  conductor  met  Mrs.  Drake 
a  year  or  two  Later;  and.  recalling  the  incident,  which  she 
had  forgotten,  said:  "That  convinced  me  of  the  truth 
of  spiritualism  more  than  anything  I  ever  heard  or  saw, 
or  have  since  seen. " 

While  waiting  for  a  train  at  a  junction  near  Dunkirk, 
N.  Y..  with  several  friends,  among  the  number.  Mr.  C.  C. 
Conroy  of  Buffalo,  Mrs.  Drake  picked  up  a  small  hand- 
bill which  she  held  in  her  hand  as  she  walked  up  and  down 
the  platform  with  Mr.  Conroy.  His  attention  was  called  to 
ten  or  twelve  faces  pictured  on  the  margin  of  the  hand-bill. 
All  side  views,  in  colors,  and  all  different.  He  had  seen  her 
pick  up  the  bill  and  knew  these  faces  were  not  on  the  paper 
at  that  time.  The  faces  were  life-like,  shaded  and  colored 
with  great  skill.  Mr.  Conroy  asked  the  privilege  of  retain- 
ing them  to  show  to  his  friends  in  Buffalo.  Soon  after  fold- 
ing the  bill  and  putting  it  into  his  pocket  he  took'  it  out  to 
show  it.  and  t'\<>vy  face  was  gone. 

At  his  requesi  Mrs.  Drake  placed  the  bill  in  her  little 
hand-bag.     In  a   few  minutes  she  took  it  out  and  found 

eight  different  faces  on  the  margin  where  the  twelve  f; s 

first  appeared.    These  f; g  remained  about  three  minutes 

and  then  faded  out  as  the  party  were  watching  them.  Mr. 
Conroy.  himself,  then  placed  the  bill  in  her  hand-bag  and 
they  continued  their  walk.  lie.  in  the  meantime,  held  the 
hand-bag.  When  he  looked  for  the  bill  he  could  not  find 
it.  They  looked  but  it  could  not  be  found.  No  one  ever 
saw  it  again  until  Mrs.  Drake  arrived  at  home  in  New  York 
City  when  there  lav  the  innocent  bill  on  the  table.     The 


430  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

number  of  people  conversant  with  this  incident  precludes 
the  possibility  of  accounting  for  it  upon  any  hypnotic  or 
subliminal  theory. 

A  MATERIALIST   COMES   IN   CONTACT   WITH   A   FACT. 

While  visiting  at  the  home  of  W.  D.  Hardy  in  Malone, 
N.  Y.,  Mrs.  Drake  received  a  call  from  Mrs.  Jewitt,  whose 
husband  was  the  inventor  of  the  Jewett  milk  pan,  known  to 
all  New  York  dairymen.  The  lady  was  accompanied  by  a 
young  Irish  boy— possibly  20  years  old.  This  boy  was  a 
Catholic.  He  had  a  vision,  or  a  dream,  as  he  expressed  it, 
of  a  British  soldier  of  Continental  times  who  came  to  him 
several  nights  in  succession  and  told  him  to  go  to  a  certain 
place  and  dig,  telling  him  that  at  a  certain  depth  he  would 
conie  to  a  flat  stone ;  that  a  little  deeper  he  would  come  to  a 
bottle  containing  an  one  hundred  pound,  Bank  of  Eng- 
land note;  that  it  was  for  him  and  no  one  else. 

The  priest  went  with  him  at  night  and  they  dug  down 
until  they  came  to  the  flat  stone.  Both  were  frightened 
and  hastily  filled  up  the  hole  and  fled.  The  old  soldier 
came  again  the  next  night  and  told  the  boy  to  take  some 
one  other  than  the  priest  with  him.  He  selected  a  protes- 
tant  minister.  They  found  the  bottle  and  secured  the  note, 
just  as  was  shown  in  the  vision.  In  getting  the  note  out 
they  broke  the  bottle. 

Mrs.  Jewett  brought  a  piece  of  the  bottle  for  Mrs. 
Drake  to  psychometrize.  The  Irish  boy  came  with  her. 
Without  any  previous  acquaintance  with  either  of  the  par- 
ties, or  any  knowledge  of  the  circumstances,  Mrs.  Drake 
gave  a  minute  and  detailed  account  of  the  whole  matter  as 
far  as  Mrs.  Jewett  or  the  boy  knew,  besides  she  told  them 
both  very  much  of  their  family  history  and  their  own  lives. 
She  described  the  old  soldier  so  faithfully  that  the  honest, 
simple-minded  Irish  boy  said  it  was  the  same  he  had  seen 
in  his  dreams 

Mrs.  Jewett  returned  home,  and  the  next  day  her  hus- 
band, a  materialist,  came  to  see  who  was  telling  such  impos- 
sible things.    He  knew  Mr.  Drake's  family  and  had  no  hesi- 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  431 

tatioii  in  making  known  the  object  of  his  visit,  lie  really 
believed  his  wife  was  crazy,  or  had  in  some  way  been  de- 
ceived. What  had  been  told  the  lad  and  his  wife  was  re- 
peated to  him;  and.  then  his  investigations  took  a  different 
line.  He  was  invited  into  Mr.  Hardy's  parlor,  where  he, 
Mr.  Drake,  one  of  Mr.  Hardy's  family,  and  Mrs.  Drake,  sat 
down  to  a  small  table.  Mrs.  Drake  sat  with  her  back  to- 
wards the  door  Leading  out  into  the  hall,  in  which  were 
stairs  leading  to  the  rooms  above.  Mr.  Jewett  sat  facing  this 
door  which  was  open,  lie  had  a  fair  view  of  all  in  the 
room  and  a  part  of  the  hall  and  stairs.  Seated,  with  all 
hands  on  the  table,  he  was  told  to  mentally  ask  any  ques- 
tion that  could  be  answered  by  raps,  or  by  the  table  tip- 
ping in  any  direction  he  might  mentally  request. 

After  some  time  spent  in  this  way,  he  suddenly  started 
and  fixed  his  gaze  out  in  the  hallway. 

What  could  possibly  startle  this  cool,  logical,  mater- 
ialistic thinker  who  only  recognized  in  his  theorems  and 
equations,  blind,  unintelligent  force  and  inert  matter? 

Slowly  coming  down  the  stairs,  slipping  through  the 
air  into  the  room,  just  about  six  feet  from  the  floor,  came 
a  folded,  red  silk  bandanna.  It  passed  directly  over  Mrs. 
Drake's  head  and  over  his  head,  where  it  unfolded;  and.  as 
if  taken  by  diagonal  corners  by  invisible  hands,  it  was  laid 
upon  his  shoulders  and  around  his  neck.  Here  was  a  fact, 
the  reality  of  which  could  not  be  questioned,  calling  for 
classification;  a  fact  showing  intelligent  purpose  carried 
t<>   completion    with   directness   and   certainty. 

While  holding  a  seance  at  this  same  place,  a  wry 
remarkable  manifestation  occurred.  A  local  medium,  who 
attended  this  Beance,  requested  Mr.  Drake  who  was  present, 
to  leave  one  of  the  windows  open.     Just  before  the  seance 

d— about  eleven  o'clock,  -a  ring  was  placed  upon  one 
of  Mi-.  Drake's  fingers.  \i>  one  in  the  room  missed  any 
ring,  and  when  the  li<_rht  was  bron<_rht.  Mr.  Drake  found  lie 
had  a  masonic  ring— 32nd  degree— which  his  daughter. 
Mande  Alberta,  had  left  in  Pawtncket,  R.  T..  only  the  week 
before. 


432  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  next  morning  the  (laughter  wrote  to  her  friend, 
Mrs.  Mary  Read,  in  Pawtucket,  with  whom  she  had  been  ■ 
stopping,  to  express  the  ring  to  her. 

Mrs.  Reed  wrote  in  reply  that  on  the  night  in  question, 
she,  having  retired  early,  was  awakened  by  hearing  some 
one  at  her  writing  desk,  where  she  had  placed  the  ring  for 
safe  keeping.  She  supposed  it  was  her  son  looking  for  some- 
thing and  thought  no  more  about  it  until  she  went  to  get 
the  ring.  She  could  not  find  it,  although  she  had  placed  it 
there  after  she  (Maude)  had  left;  and,  she  positively  knew 
it  was  there.  Her  son  denied  knowing  anything  about  it, 
and  said  he  had  not  been  near  the  writing  desk. 

A  similar  instance  occurred  when  a  letter  was  trans- 
ported from  Abilene,  Kansas,  to  Fondulac,  "Wisconsin.  At 
the  time  of  this  occurrence,  in  1885,  it  took  thirty-six  hours, 
by  fastest  trains,  to  go  from  Abilene  to  Fondulac.  Mr. 
Drake  wrote  a  letter  on  Monday  to  Mrs.  Lord  stating  that 
he  would  be  in  Fondulac  on  Thursday  of  that  week.  He, 
in  company  with  his  brother,  P.  D.  Drake,  John  C.  Howe, 
and  Hon.  J.  E.  Bonebrake  of  Abilene,  went  to  the  east 
bound  train  at  10  o'clock  that  (Monday)  evening  and 
handed  this  particular  letter,  with  several  others,  to  the 
postal  clerk,  who  was  standing  in  the  door  of  the  mail  car. 
The  clerk  took  the  letters,  turned  around  and  threw  them 
on  the  table  behind  him.     The  train  pulled  out. 

On  Thursday  afternoon,  Mr.  Drake  arrived  in  Fondu- 
lac. He  was  shown  the  letter.  The  stamp  had  not  been  can- 
celled and  it  bore  no  receiving  date  stamped  on  the  back. 
He  positively  identified  the  letter  as  the  one  he  had  handed 
to  the  postal  agent  in  Abilene,  at  10  o'clock  P.  M.  Mon- 
day of  that  week.  They  all  told  him  how  the  letter  was 
found  in  the  blinds  of  Mrs.  Lord's  window  in  the  second 
story,  at  7  A.  M.  Tuesday, — just  vine  hours  after  it  had 
left  his  hand,  seven  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Fondu- 
lac. Four  reliable  witnesses  at  each  end  of  the  line  estab- 
lishes the  verity  of  this  fact.  How  was  it  done?  "Who 
was  the  doer?  Questions  not  easily  answered.  Their  solu- 
tion was  very  important  to  one  trained  to  scientific  methods 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  433 

and  Mr.  Drake  determined  to  learn  more  about  this  fact 
that  Beemed  to  lie  away  out  beyond  all  known  Beiem f  the 

times.  Mrs.  Lord  could  only  say  :  "Val.  did  it."  Val.  was 
one  of  her  band,  but,  for  some  reason,  seldom  controlled. 
She  told  him  that  Val.  sometimes  visited  the  school  of  the 
Campbell  sisters  in  Boston. 

These  estimable  ladies  were  mediums  and  held  a  re- 
ception, or  a  school,  once  a  week,  where  spirits  who  had 
been  ushered  into  spirit  life  before  their  earth  experiences 
were  completed  could  attend.  Taking  his  sister  and  Mrs. 
Lord,  they  went  to  Boston;  and,  from  there  to  Onset  Bay, 
where  he  found  one  of  these  ladies. 

"Yes,  she  knew  a  spirit  by  the  name  of  Val.  who 
sometimes  came   t"  see   them." 

"No,  she  could  not  grive  him  a  sitting,  as  she  never 
did  any  public  business.  Her  mediumship  was  devoted 
to  the  education  and  relief  of  'spirits  in  prison.'  ' 

Miss  Campbell  was  delighted  to  meet  Mrs.  Lord— so 
long  Boston's  favorite— and,  while  talking,  Miss  Camp- 
bell was  entranced  by  some  spirit  who  knew  Mrs.  Lord. 
They  talked  together  for  some  time,  when  the  entrancing 
spirit  turned  to  Mr.  Drake  and  said:  "Well,  sir,  what  can 
1   do   for  you.'      My    name    is    Val. 

"I  have  come  a  long  way  to  ask  you  a  question," 
Mr.    Drake    replied. 

"What  is  your  question?" 

"I  am  told  that  you  carried  a  letter  from  Abilene, 
Kansas,  to  Fondulac.  Wisconsin,  for  me:  and.  if  con- 
sistent, I  would  like  to  know  how  it  was  done." 

"If  T  were  to  tell  you,  you  are  not  mentally  qual- 
ified to  understand  the  forces  employed,  or  our  method 
of  handling  them.  I  will  jrive  you  a  suggestion  that  you 
can  follow  in  the  investigation  and  solution  of  your  ques- 
tion.—"/  was   the   carrier  '/"/''."-Your    science    knows 

comparatively  little  about  this  occult,  vital  foi which  we 

employ  and  practically  nothing  about  its  use.  To  control 
this  force,  to  direct  it  with  accuracy  requires  puresl  intel- 
lect, col  courage,  a  well  trained  will,  and  great  discretion, 


434  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

which  you  have  not  acquired.  Few  ever  acquire  the 
ability  to  command  this  element  in  your  stage  of  existence 
— so  few  are  physically  and  mentally  perfect — free  from 
prejudice  and  passion — so  few  are  given  to  meditation  and 
silence.  You  live  in  the  body  and  for  the  body.  I  may 
also  say  that  few  on  our  side  of  life  care  to  understand 
and  use  this  Arcane  knowledge, — the  potencies  of  mag- 
netism and  electricity.  The  coming  century  will,  however, 
see  some  of  these  vibrations,  or,  as  yet  unnamed  waves, 
brought  into  use." 

SPIRITUAL  LIGHT  IN  A  METHODIST   CHURCH. 

Either  the  surplus  of  ozone  on  the  Pacific  Coast, 
climate  or  something  else,  is  conducive  to  great  liberality 
in  California.  The  Los  Angeles  Express,  with  some  sur- 
prise, noted  in  its  editorial  columns,  the  result  of  Mrs. 
Drake's  work  in  Los  Angeles.  Mr.  Drake  had  on  several 
occasions  asked  the  controls  why  the  church  did  not 
co-operate  with  spiritualists.  The  only  difference  he  could 
see  between  the  two  was  that  the  spiritualists  demon- 
strated what  the  church  asked  their  members  to  accept 
by  faith.  The  control,  Jesse,  replied  that  they  proposed 
to  show  that  an  honest,  1^rue  and  faithful  representative 
of  spiritualism  could  stand  within  the  church  and 
co-operate   with  the   church   people   in   their   good   work. 

On  that  very  day,  in  the  year  1890,  two  of  the  resi- 
dent Methodist  ministers  of  the  city,  called  and  invited 
Mrs.  Drake  to  take  part  in  their  revival  meetings.  She 
joined  heartily  and  earnestly  in  the  work.  She  took 
the  old  and  the  poor  to  these  meetings  in  her  own 
carriage.  She  spoke  in  their  meetings,  and  was  impor- 
tuned to  tell  them  something  about  her  own  belief  and 
work.  She  declined  to  do  this  in  their  meetings,  saying 
that  there  might  be  those  who  were  not  prepared  to  receive 
new  light,  avIio  had  come  to  take  part  in  their  own  revival, 
and  it  would  not  be  right  to  impose  anything  new  upon 
them.     These  liberal  minded,  thinking  ministers  were  not 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  435 

afraid  of  new  thought,  and,  at  their  lequest,  an  even- 
in. tr  was  selected  when  she  promised  them  a  talk  upon 
spiritualism.  The  evening  came,  and  with  it  one  of  Cali- 
fornia's typical  rains.  She  went  in  a  closed  carriage  to 
keep  her  appointment,  not  expecting  any  one  would 
come  out  in  such  a  rain.  The  unexpected  again  happened. 
The  church  was  filled.  There  was  not  even  standing  room. 
Even  reporters  from  the  city  papers  were  present.  The 
Express,  which  was  always  by  far  the  ablest  and  most 
liberal  paper,  in  commenting  upon  this  meeting,  aud  Mrs. 
Drake's  work,  said: 

"It  is  a  strange  and  unusual  thing,  but  it  has  never- 
theless come  to  pass  here  in  Los  Angeles.  Did  any  one 
ever  hear  of  an  advocate  of  spiritualism  aiding  and  assist- 
ing in  conducting  a  Methodist  revival  ?  That  is  the  case, 
however,  in  Vernon,  where  a  Methodist  revival  has  been 
on  for  some  time  past,  in  which  Mrs.  Maud  Lord  Drake 
has  assisted,  in  that  she  has,  on  several  occasions,  spoken 
at  the  revival  meetings,  at  the  request  of  the  pastor  and 
some  of  the  members  of  his  flock.  Mrs.  Maud  Lord  Drake 
is  one  of  the  best  known  advocates  of  spiritualism  in  the 
United  States.  She  formerly  resided  in  Boston,  where 
she  was  famous  as  a  test  medium.  For  several  years,  she 
has  resided  in  this  city  with  her  husband,  but  she  has 
not,  of  late  years,   b  n   much   in  public.     Only  on 

special  occasions  has  slie  delivered  lectures  upon  her 
chosen  subject,  about  which  she  is  so  well  informed.  The 
remarks  Mrs.  Lord-Drake  delivered  at  the  revival  meet- 
ing in  Vernon,  have  attracted  considerable  attention  in 
church  circles.  The  fact  that  a  strong  spiritualist  is  per- 
mitted to  participate  in  a  Methodist  revival  these  days, 
shows  that  a  liberal  Christian  sentiment  is  prevailing  in 
this  community.  Ten  years  ago,  such  a  thing  would  not 
have  been   thought  of." 


43G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

A    METHODIST    MINISTER    AT    FORT    WORTH     DISCUSSES     SPIRIT- 
UALISM   WITH    MRS.    DRAKE. 

Sweet  thought  that  the  One  who  ruleth  all 
Regardeth  nor  sect,  nor  class,  nor  creed, 

But  noteth  even  the  sparrow's  fall — 

For  sinner  and  saint  the  rich  veins  bleed. 

Not  bound  His  love,  by  the  bigot's  rule, 

Nor  narrow  measure  of  churchman's  hate, 

That  would  balk  thy  life  of  sweet  renewal 
Beyond  the  gleam  of  the  golden  gate. 

Texas,  the  Empire  state  of  the  South,  gave  Mrs.  Drake 
a  royal  welcome  wherever  she  spoke  and  held  seances. 
The  business  men,  scholars  and  thinkers,  accepted  the  phil- 
osophy she  taught,  as  natural,  and  investigated  the  phe- 
nomena in  a  practical,  logical  way,  without  religious 
prejudice,  fearing  neither  ecclesiastical  condemnation  nor 
social  ostracism.  As  the  leader  of  fashion  in  the  city  of 
Waco  said,  "in  discussing  the  question  of  the  attendance 
of  her  fashionable  set  at  the  seances :  "  It  is  not  who  will 
attend,  but  who  will  I  invite.  It  is  a  privilege  to  sit  in 
Mrs.  Drake's  seances  that  all  may  be  glad  to  have  granted 
to  them." 

This  was  the  manner  in  which  she  was  received  in 
Dallas,  Fort  Worth,  "Waco,  Austin  and  Galveston.  At 
Fort  Worth,  Dr.  Lloyd,  one  of  the  leading  orthodox 
ministers,  undertook  to  check  the  rapidly  growing  popu- 
larity of  her  work.  He  conceded  the  fact  of  spirit  return, 
but  claimed  that  only  evil  spirits  came  back.  He  claimed 
it  was  all  evil  because  its  theology  was  of  the  universal 
type,  teaching  the  endless  progression  of  all  after  death ; 
because  there  was  no  hell  in  it  to  scare  people  into  right- 
eousness ;  because  there  was  no  endless  punishment,  no 
vicarious  atonement  in  it.  In  fact,  "Spiritualism  took 
the  Bible  to  show  that  many  would  be  deceived  in  these 
latter  days  by  spiritualism.  Christian  Science  and  the  so- 
called  New  Thought,  which  were  all  destructive  of  the 
church's    plan    of    salvation.     All    through    this  learned 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  437 

Methodist's  sermon  he  conceded  the  fact  of  the  continuity 
of  life  and  the  return  of  spirit. 

Mrs.  Drake,  on  the  following  Sunday,  was  greeted 
with  an  unusually  large  audience  to  hear  her  answer. 
Her  subject  was:  "The  Orthodox  View  of  Spiritualism." 
She  began  by  alluding  to  the  sermon,  quoting  the  main 
points  made  by  the  preacher,  and  his  conclusion,  namely, 
that  spiritualism  was  from  the  devil.  She  wondered  how 
an  educated  minister  could  so  mislead  his  audience  by 
•  putting  some  texts  from  the  Bible— just  enough  to  bolster 
up  his  own  opinions,  and  not  noticing  the  larger  number 
that  most  fully  taught  the  great  doctrine  of  the  ministry 
of  angels.  While  it  is  true  that  the  Bible  teaches  that 
evil  spirits  do  return  and  influence  men,  it  is  equally 
true  that  the  good  also  return.  Both  Testaments  teach 
this.  Some  of  the  most  noted  texts  were  then  quoted  in 
proof  of  this  assertion.  It  was  certain  that  the  birth  of 
Christ  and  of  John  the  Baptist  were  both  announced  by 
the  angels.  It  was  certain  that  Musts  and  Elias  came  and 
talked  with  Christ.  Peter,  James  and  John,  on  the  moun- 
tain. It  was  certain  that  Samuel,  who  was  a  medium  from 
childhood,  came  back  and  talked  with  King  Saul  at  the 
request  of  the  medium  of  Endor,  and  his  prophecy  was 
fulfilled  concerning  the  King.  In  II.  Kings.  vl:17;  we  have 
the  account  of  the  young  man.  who  was  a  clairvoyant, 
whose  eyes  the  Lord  opened  and  he  saw  the  mountains 
full   of  the  hosts  of  his   friends.     In   Genesis    \xxii:1-2. 

Ji 1)  was  met  by  the  angels  of  the  Lord,  and  he  said: 

••This  is  God's  host"  Ahab  and  the  400  prophets, 
the  lying  spirit  that  came  from  the  Lord  and  took  pos- 

on  of  them,  and  also  of  Saul  and  many  other 
instances  were  quoted.  Paul  was  not  disobedient  to  the 
heavenly  vision,  but  yielded  to  Jesus,  whose  voice  he  heard 
saying?,  "I  am  Jesus,  whom  thou  perseeutest. "  Peter  was 
let  out  of  prison  by  an  angel  and  conducted  to  a  place  of 
safety.  Tn  Hebrews,  Chapter  1:14,  we  are  assured  that 
the  angels  are  all  ministering  spirits  sent  forth  to  minister 
to  those  who  shall   be  heirs  of  salvation.     In   Revelations 


438  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

1:10,  John  is  said  to  have  been  in  the  spirit  on  the  Lord's 
day  and  he  heard  a  great  voice  as  of  a  trumpet.  Having 
turned  he  beheld  one  like  unto  the  Son  of  Man,  clothed 
with  a  garment  and  the  hair  of  his  head  was  as  white  as 
snow.  And  he  said:  "Fear  not  *  *  *  I  am  he  that 
liveth  and  was  dead,  and  behold  I  am  alive  forever  more." 
She  quoted  from  the  4th .  chapter  of  Job,  15th  verse, 
where  the  spirit  passed  before  the  Temanite.  She  told  the 
story  contained  in  the  fourteen  chapters  of  the  book  of 
Tobit  in  the  Apocrypha,  which  good  orthodox  revisers  of 
the  Bible  have  left  out  of  that  good  book.  She  called  the 
attention  of  the  good  brother  to  the  emphatic  assertion  of 
Jesus,  the  medium,  in  John's  gospel,  14th  chapter,  that 
he  was  going  to  prepare  a  place  for  his  followers,  just 
ns  returning  spirits  now  say  they  are  preparing  a  place 
for  their  loved  ones,  whom  they  urge  to  more  cleanly  lives, 
that  they  may  be  prepared  to  occupy  these  celestial  man- 
sions. Very  few  people,  she  said,  live  as  they  should  in 
order  to  fulfill  the  end  of  their  being  and  be  happy' here 
or  hereafter.  The  tobacco  habit,  the  liquor  habit,  mor- 
phine and  licentiousness,  so  derange  all  the  vital  powers, 
and  fill  the  body  with  disease,  that  it  is  impossible  for 
the  spirit  to  act  naturally  through  it  as  an  instrument. 
These  bad  habits  were  dwelt  upon  and  denounced  in  strong 
but  chaste  language.  On  account  of  them  we  behold 
physical,  mental,  moral  and  social  wrecks  everywhere.  Nor 
does  the  evil  stop  here.  It  is  transmitted  by  the  unerring 
laws  of  heredity  to  our  children,  and  on,  down,  the  stream 
of  human  history.  Everything  that  has  been  involved  in 
the  new  being  must  be  evolved.  Where  there  is  involution, 
there  is  evolution  also.  She  said  there  were  but  twenty- 
two  men  in  the  vast  audience  who  did  not  use  either  tobacco 
or  liquors.  Then  in  most  eloquent  terms  she  pleaded  with 
all  who  were  thus  intemperate,  to  give  up  these  habits. 
They  have  no  right  to  curse  themselves  and  posterity  with 
them.  After  a  discourse  of  wonderful  power  and  singular 
beauty  of  diction,  which  was  listened  to  with  rapt  atten- 
tion.   Mrs.  Drake  spent  some  time  in  psychometrizing  for 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  439 

different  persons  present.  This  was  a  most  exciting  and 
interesting  feature  of  the  meeting.  Her  method  was  to 
take  a  ring,  watch  or  something  the  person  had  worn.  She 
always  preferred  that  the  owner  should  be  a  skeptic  or  an 
unbeliever  in  spiritualism  and  a  stranger  to  herself.  She 
read  their  life  history  rapidly  and  with  a  wonderful  degree 
of  correctness.  Nor  is  it  done  in  any  degree  by  the  aid  of 
phrenology  or  physiognomy,  for  she  always  has  been  very 
near-sighted,  not  being  able  to  distinguish  the  features  of 
a  person  farther  away  than  a  few  feet. 

Mr.  W.  D.  Linn,  a  prominent  man  of  St.  Louis,  was 
among  the  first  at  this  meeting  to  hand  her  a  ring  for  a 
reading.  The  gentleman  said  he  was  not  a  believer  in 
spiritualism  and  was  a  total  stranger  to  Mrs.  Drake.  He 
admitted  publicly,  however,  that  the  delineation  he  received 
vas  absolutely  correct.  Several  others  were  read  almost 
as  an  open  book.  The  interest  was  so  intense,  and,  the 
crowd  pressing  to  the  front  to  hear  every  word,  that  it 
was  with  difficulty  the  reporters  could  get  all  the  names. 

Just  before  the  meeting  closed,  John  Brownson,  well 
known  in  Fort  Worth  for  many  years,  started  out.  Being 
near  the  speaker,  her  eye  caught  the  form,  and  she  asked 
him  to  stop  a  minute.  He  did  so  and  received  a  very 
complete  and  correct  description  of  his  family  relations 
for  a  generation  back,  with  a  touch  as  to  business  rela- 
tions and  the  tobacco  habit,  which  he  had  not  entirely 
abandoned.  A  gentleman  and  his  wife,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Ingalls,  citizens  of  Port  Worth,  whose  child,  Mrs.  Drake 
said,  was  afflicted  with  spinal  trouble,  were  present.  The 
was  d   by   the   medium   and   the   parents 

admitted  its  correctness.  Mrs.  Anna  Bell  Birdwell,  Mrs. 
Julia  Bird,  Mrs.  Perkins  and  Mrs.  Johnson  from  Big 
Springs;  Mr.  A.  D.  Swan  and  others  from  Chicago,  were 
present. 

Th<-  press  of  the  (rity  was  much  interested  in  the  new 
science  of  psychomancy,  as  demonstrated  by  Mrs.  Drake; 
and.  accredited  her  as  its  profoundest  exponent. 


440  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

DRIVES  ALL   NIGHT   TO   VERIFY   A   TEST. 

In  a  seance  held  at  Col.  Norton's  residence  in  Austin, 
Texas,  Mr.  P.  B. ,  a  court  official,  was  much  sur- 
prised at  the  phenomena  and  the  accuracy  of  the  descrip- 
tions of  his  fathers'  family,  both  the  living  and  the  dead. 
Pie  was  the  oldest  child,  as  he  supposed,  and  knew  all  about 
all  of  the  family.  He  readily  acknowledged  the  accuracy, 
and  the  truthful  details  of  every  description  until  Mrs. 
Drake  described  the  spirits  of  twins  in  his  father's  family. 
He  disputed  this  most  emphatically. 

He  was  the  oldest  in  the  family,  had  helped  his  mother 
with  her  house  work,  was  more  like  a  girl  to  her  than  a 
boy,  and  was  her  companion  and  confidant.  Everything 
told  him  was  surprisingly  accurate  but  this.  The  medium 
insisted  that  it  was  true,  as  these  two  spirits  came  into 
the  circle  with  his  other  spirit  relatives  and  claimed  him 
as  brother.  She  told  him  to  ask  his  mother.  He  said  he 
certainly  would,  as  everything  she  had  told  him, — a  com- 
plete stranger, — was  true.  She  told  him  they  had  died 
before  birth  and  had  been  buried  under  a  rose  bush  in 
the  front  yard,  more  than  thirty  years  ago — two  lovely, 
beautiful  children,  grown  to  maturity  in  spirit  life,  who 
would  greet  him  as  brother  when  he  came  to  them.  This 
one  mistake,  or  error,  completely  upset  his  belief  in  spirit 
return.  He  was  a  direct  and  logical  thinker;  and,  to  his 
mind,  a  theory  to  be  correct  must  cover  all  the  facts. 

He  was  a  thorough  investigator  of  this,  to  him,  new 
philosophy,  and  it  was  of  great  importance  for  him  to  know 
its  truth ;  and,  to  know  it  at  once.  On  leaving  the  seance, 
at  a  late  hour,  past  11  o'clock  at  night,  he  secured  a  livery 
team  and  started  for  his  father's  home, — thirty-five  miles 
back  in  the  country.  He  arrived  before  they  were  up  and 
dressed. 

''Here  is  Phillip,  before  we  are  hardly  up.  What  in 
the  world  brings  you  here  at  this  time  in  the  morning?" 
was  his  mother's  greeting. 

"I  will  tell  you,  mother.    I  have  had  a  strange  experi- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  411 

ence.  There  is  a  lady  in  Austin  telling  the  strangest  things. 
She  tells  all  about  you,  everything  of  importance  you  ever 
did,  but  what  is  the  strangest  thing  of  all.  she  tells  you  all 
about  all  of  your  family  and  relatives  who  are  dead;  and, 
she  described  them  accurately.  Everything  she  told  me 
was  true  except  one  thing.  She  said  I  had  a  twin  brother 
and  sister  who  were  dead." 

"  Why.  Phillip,  what  a  foolish  idea.  Here,  father,  what 
do  you  suppose  Phillip  is  telling?" 

"I  knew  it  was  not  true,"  he  said,  "but  as  everything 
else  she  told  me  was  so  faithfully  true  I  could  not  rest  until 
I  came  here  to  ask  you." 

The  father  came  in  and  he  repeated  the  question  to 
him  and  added  that  "She  said  you  planted  a  rose  bush 
over  the  spot  where  you  buried  the  little  bodies  and  that 
you  have  kept  a  rose-bush  growing  there  ever  since." 

The  father  dropped  into  a  chair;  the  mother  stopped 
her  work  and  said :  ' '  Yes,  Phillip,  all  that  is  true,  but  they 
never  lived.    They  couldn  't  come  back. ' ' 

"Another  curious  thing  she  told  me.  These  two  spirits 
gave  their  names,  and  said  that  you  had  selected  a  name 
if  it  was  a  boy,  and  a  name  if  it  was  a  girl ;  and,  that  one 
being  a  boy  and  one  a  girl  they  were  called  by  these  two 
names. ' ' 

"Phillip,  that  is  very  true,  and  that  was  a  long  time 
ago,  before  you  were  born,"  was  her  reply. 

All  those  long  thirty  years  had  this  father  planted  and 
replanted  the  rose-bushes— feeling,  yet  not  knowing  the 
truth,  and  keeping  the  fact  from  this  trusted  son. 

This  ineident,  or  these  facts,  go  beyond  the  theory  of 
sub-conscious  cerebration,  telepathy,  the  Psychical  So- 
ciety's working  hypothesis  for  apparitions  and  visions,  or 
thai  vibrations  from  the  personality  of  spirits  once  im- 
pressei  upon  the  ether  or  astral  1  i *_r  1 1 1  continue  on  the  earth 
plane  forever,  only  awaiting  the  medium  in  order  to  appear 
"subjectively "'  iii  the  senile.'.  \\i  such  full  grown  person* 
alities  as  appeared  in  the  seance  and  was  described  to  this 

Court  official  in  the  Capital  of  Texas,  ever  vibrated  in  full 


442  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

grown  bodies  on  the  earth  plane  to  accommodate  these 
theories.  As  long  as  the  hypothesis  of  spirit  return  best 
covers  this  fact  and  all  others  related  in  these  pages,  why 
flounder  in  deep  and  unknown  waters  for  some  other 
theory?  "What  objection  has  science,  or  have  you  to  spirit 
return?  Theology  objects  because  these  returning  spirits 
do  not  bring  testimony  for  its  scheme  of  salvation.  The 
great  Ecclesiastical  "Trust"  objects  because  it  interferes 
with  its  revenues.  The  theory  that  can  confront  and 
satisfy  every  demand, — and,  failing  in  this,  can  cover  the 
largest  number  of  facts,  is  the  best  and  most  logical.  Bring 
forward  your  facts,  the  reality  of  which  there  can  be  no 
question, — demonstrable  facts.  If  they  are  not  referable 
to  natural  law  and  your  theory  will  not  cover  them,  dismiss 
your  theory.     The  facts  must  stand. 

Hundreds  of  incidents  similar  to  the  above  have 
occurred  in  Mrs.  Drake 's  seances,  where  the  spirits,  appear- 
ing as  full-grown  entities,  never  opened  their  eyes  in 
physical  life.  From  these  facts  may  be  learned  much  of 
spiritual  law  and  conditions;  and,  may  also  be  drawn 
lessons  of  great  value  to  those  who  are  ignorant,  careless 
or  indifferent  to  embryonic  life. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
ARRESTED  IN  KANSAS  CITY,  MO. 

THE    FIGHT    FOB    PERSONAL    RIGHTS. 

It  may  interest  many  to  know  that  nearly  all  of  the 
unpleasant  and  unfortunate  events  in  Mrs.  Drake's  life 
have  occurred  during  the  month  of  March,  the  month  in 
which  she  was  born.  On  the  9th  of  March,  1892,  Mrs. 
Drake,  then  on  a  visit  to  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  held  a  seance 
at  the  residence  of  Dr.  T.  A.  Kimmell,  610  East  Eighth 
Street.  A  Star  reporter  called  and  begged  to  be  admitted 
to  the  seance.  Mrs.  Kimmell,  who  was  an  excellent  medium 
and  psychometrist,  was  impressed  to  exclude  him  from 
the  seance.  The  legendary  "Iron  Hand" — the  fateful, 
warning  hand  that  had  foreshadowed  trouble  for  the  family 
from  earliest  records  again  appeared.  She  could  not  think, 
or  did  not  think  its  warning  could  be  in  any  way  connected 
with  an  insignificant  reporter  on  an  evening  paper.  SV»<» 
had  always  found  reporters  well-bred  and  gentlemen  un<W 
all  circumstances.  She  disregarded  Mrs.  Kimmell 's  request 
to  exclude  him.  and  looked  for  the  portended  trouble  from 
some  other  and  unknown  source.  That  it  would  come  she 
was  certain.  The  Dark  Hand  had  never  made  any  mis- 
takes. This  time  it  pointed  up  and  she  knew  the  trouble 
would  entail  no  serious  consequences. 

The  seance  was  held  with  many  remarkable  manifes- 
tations. All  were  apparently  delighted  and  pleased.  The 
next  afternoon  the  Star  came  out  with  what  was  intended 
for  a  burlesque  account  of  the  seance.  As  a  sensational 
article  it  was  a  failure.  Cheap  wit  applied  to  any  serious 
or  seientific  subject  usually  reflects  only  the  quality  of 
the  writer. 


444  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

No  attention  was  given  to  the  article,  and  not  nntil 
the  reporter  called  at  the  house  the  next  da\  did  Mrs. 
Drake  and  her  friends  give  him  and  his  "little  piece  in 
the  paper"  any  thought. 

He  came  to  the  house  and  called  for  Mrs.  Drake.  Dr. 
Kimmell  met  him  at  the  door,  and  stepping  to  the  parlor, 
said:  "Mrs.  Drake,  here  is  the  Star  boy  who  wishes  to 
see  you." 

She  came  into  the  hall,  and  when  near  enough  to  see 
who  it  was,  she  said:  "What,  you  here!  How  dare  you 
come  here,  you  little  insignificant  puppy?  After  we 
treated  you  like  a  gentleman,  and  then  you  attempt  to 
ridicule  me,  why  do  you  come  here  uninvited?  Your  very 
presence  is  an  insult  to  respectable  people." 

With  a  characteristic,  simian  smile  he  backed  up 
against  the  door  and  said,  "Oh,  I  just  came  to  see  if  I 
•nade  a  ten-strike  with  my  report." 

"You  insulting  puppy,  leave  the  house  before  I  am 
tempted  to  lay  hands  on  you."  Saying  this  Mrs.  Drake 
took  hold  of  the  door  knob  with  one  hand  to  open  the 
door,  and  with  the  other  hand  took  the  lapel  of  his  coat. 
He  instantly  struck  her  a  severe  blow  on  the  arm.  She 
promptly  cuffed  the  puppy's  ears  just  as  Dr.  Kimmell 
sprang  forward., 

Seeing  that  he  was  liable  to  be  punished,  for  his  inso- 
lence and  brutality,  he  crept  down  behind  Mrs.  Drake's 
skirts,  saying,  "Don't  let  him  strike  me,  I'll  go  out." 

Mrs.  Drake  begged  the  Doctor  to  let  him  go.  She 
opened  the  door  and  he  crawled  out.  Once  outside,  he 
arose  to  his  feet  and  hurriedly  left  the  house.  Turning,  he 
grinned  and  said,  "Well,  I've  had  a  d— 1  of  a  seance 
this    time. ' ' 

The  purpose  of  this  second  attack  did  not  appear  until 
9  o'clock  that  evening  when  he  returned  accompanied  by 
a  deputy  constable  and  another  reporter  for  the  same 
paper,  named  Bloss,  who  also  wore  a  deputy  constable's 
badge.  They  had  warrants  for  the  arrest  of  Mrs.  Drake, 
Dr.  Kimmel  and  his  wife.    They  served  the  warrants  upon 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  445 

Mrs.  Drake  aud  Dr.  Kimmell,  and  for  some  reason  said 
nothing  ;il)oiit  the  warrant  for  Mrs.  Kimmell.  Mr.  \i.  W. 
jioldsby.  a  prominent  attorney  of  the  city,  happened. to 
be  spending  the  evening  at  the  house.  Mrs.  Drake  stepped 
into  the  parlor  and  asked  Mr.  Goldsby  to  look  at  the 
papers,  lie  told  the  officers  that  the  charge  was  assault — 
only  a  misdemeanor— and  that  the  highest  possible  fine 
under  the  law  was  $100.  He  asked  them  for  the  bond, 
with  which  ail  officers  are  usually  provided  when  arrest- 
ing citizens  and  well-known  people  on  trifling  charges, 
eaying  he  would  sign  it. 

Bloss,  the  reporter  and  deputy,  insolently  replied  that 
they  did  not  have  any  bond;  that  they  would  have  to  go 
to  jail.  Mr.  Goldsby  replied.  "Oh,  no,  they  will  deposit 
the  full  amount  of  the  highest  fine  in  cash." 

This  was  declined  in  the  same  insolent  manner. 
Nothing  could  be  done  but  to  accompany  the  officers  to 
the  city  jail. 

Delivering  their  prisoners  to  the  deputies  in  charge, 
the  reporters  left.  When  out  on  the  sidewalk  they  danced 
in  great  glee,  and  the  reporter,  Bloss..  was  heard  to  say, 

"Two  d d  spiritualists  will  stay  in  jail  one  night  any 

way.  I  have  fixed  Marshal  Stewart  (sheriff)  so  all  h— 1 
won't  get  them  out." 

Mr.  Goldsby  accompanied  them  to  the  jail  and  then 
went  to  look  for  the  magistrate  who  had  issued  the  war- 
rants. Both  reporters  had  wilfully  lied  about  where  he 
was.  and  he  could  no1  be  found.  The  next  nearest  justice 
was  Mr.  Worthen,  who  accompanied  Mr.  Goldsby  to  the 
jail  where  the  warrants  and  commitments  wen  examined. 
The  justice  approved  a  bond,  handed  it  to  the  deputies  in 

Charge  of  the  jail,  and  told  Mrs.  Drake  and  the  Doctor 
they  OOUld   gO 

Here  the  deputies  interposed  and  said  they  had  been 

instructed  not  t<»  let  them  out  on  bail,  or  any  other  way. 
The   purpose  and   the  conspiracy   was  thus   made   manifest. 

Justice   Worthen  said.  "]   am  authorized   under  the 

law    to    accept    bail    in    this   case,    as   you    personally    know 


446  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

I  did  in  a  similar  case  only  last  week  and  you  accepted 
it.  You  are  incurring  grave  consequences  for  your  prin- 
cipal in  refusing  to  release  these  people." 

"Such  are  our  orders,"  was  their  answer. 

Mr.  Drakp  was  at  that  time  better  known  in  Kansas 
City  than  these  reporters  and  deputies.  They  did  not, 
however,  connect  him  with  the  noted  medium  whom  they 
had  conspired  to  hold  in  jail  over  night,  denying  her  her 
rights  under  the  law,  because  she  did  not  bow  to  their 
particular  religious  shrine. 

In  response  to  a  short  laconic  telegram  from  his  wife, 
' '  Come,  am  in  trouble, ' '  Mr.  Drake  stepped  from  a  special 
train  from  Chicago  the  next  morning.  One  of  Marshal 
Stewart's  deputies,  at  the  Union  Depot,  caught  sight  of 
him  and  a  very  forcible  idea  struck  him  about  the  same 
time.  He  hurried  to  a  telephone,  called  up  the  Marshal's 
office,  and  said,  "Ask  Mrs.  Drake,  the  spiritualist  you 
arrested  last  night,  if  she  is  the  wife  of  J.  S.  Drake?" 

Evidently  the  reply  confirmed  his  suspicion,  as  he 
said:  "Let  them  go  as  quickly  as  you  can.  Make  them 
go.     You  have  put  yourself  into  a  h — 1  of  a  hole." 

By  this  time  Mr.  Drake  had  communicated  with  Mrs. 
Kimmell  and  learned  that  his  wife  was  in  jail.  On  learn- 
ing this  he  remarked  "Is  that  all  the  trouble,"  and  imme- 
diately called  up  the  Marshal's  office.  His  wife  came 
to  the  'phone  and  said,  "An  officer  has  just  come  in  and 
says  we  can  go,  that  there  is  nothing  against  us,  what 
shall  I  do." 

"Remain  there  until  I  come,"  was  his  reply.  "We 
will  see  if  there  is  any  law  in  Missouri  that  permits  petty 
officers  to  arrest  people  at  an  unseemly  hour  of  the  night 
on  a  trifling  charge;  keep  them  all  night;  deny  them  bail, 
and  let  them  go  in  the  morning  without  trial,  just  because 
you  do  not  subscribe  to  the  religious  or  political  belief 
of  courts  and  officials  clothed  with  a  little  authority." 

Mr.  Drake  was  soon  at  the  Marshal's  office.  He  said 
to  the  two  deputies  in  charge,  "Boys  I  am  going  to  ask 
you  a  few  questions.     It  is  immaterial  to  me  whether  you 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  447 

tell  me  tli.'  truth,  lie  to  me  or  refuse  to  answer.  I  will 
advise  you.  however,  to  tell  the  truth  as  far  as  you  know 
it."  Here  was  laid  the  basis  of  several  suits  in  the  local 
courts  of  Kansas  City,  in  the  United  States  Circuit  Court 
and  the  United  States  Court  of  Appeals  at  St.  Paul.  Minn. 

Mr.  Drake  found  his  way  blocked  at  every  step  by  the 
political  ring  that  dominated  Kansas  City  at  that  time. 
He  was  obliged  to  have  the  prosecuting  attorney,  Marcy 
K.  Brown,  removed  and  a  special  prosecuting  attorney 
appointed  before  he  could  secure  the  arrest  of  Bloss,  the 
reporter-deputy,  for  malfeasance.  The  ring  corrupted  the 
grand  jury  and  he  was  obliged  to  have  a  special  jury 
appointed.  Judge  TvTiite  of  the  criminal  court  was  next 
disqualified.  All  this  time  Marshal  Stewart,  who  was  the 
officer  in  charge  of  the  jail,  was  lending  his  avl  to  shield 
these  petty  officers,  with  whom  he  had  conspired  to  deny 
the  accused  their  rights  under  the  law.  The  conspirators 
were  in  the  habit  of  meeting  in  Stewart's  office  to  diseuse 
their  plans  to  defeat  Mr.  Drake's  efforts  in  bringing  them 
to  justice.  In  their  fancied  privacy  they  laughed  and 
joked  about  how  they  would  tire  Drake  with  postpone- 
ment and  delays.  Here  they  planned  who  they  would 
have  on  the  jury,  and  how  the  jury  would  be  selected,  if 
they  ever  came  to  trial.  All  these  meetings,  all  their 
manning  and  their  conversations  were  regularly  and  fully 
reported  to  Mr.  Drake  by  his  wife's  controls,  who  were 
present,  and  heard  and  knew  all  that  was  said  and  done. 

Later,  when  the  case  against  Stewart  came  to  trial 
before  Hon.  John  F.  Phillips,  in  the  United  States  Circuit 
Court,  the  controls  informed  Mr.  Drake  of  their  efforts 
to  corrupt  the  jury,  and  told  him  the  names  of  Stewart's 
three  friendfl  on  the  jury,  and  what  the  result  would  be. 
The  controls  also  reported  what  transpired  in  the  jury 
room,  relating  the  conversation  between  the  jurors,  and 
how  each  member  voted.  Notwithstanding  the  efforts  of 
the  defendant's  friends,  the  ease  was  so  well  managed  and 
the  evidence  so  conclusive  that  the  jury  awarded  Mrs. 
Drake  twelve  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  damages  for  false 


448  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

imprisonment.  This  result  was  largely  due  to  the  very 
able  and  conscientious  work  of  Attorney  Robt.  W.  Goldsby. 

Inasmuch  as  the  jury  did  not  consider  the  charge  of 
conspiracy,  Mr.  Drake  asked  for  a  new  trial.  Judge 
Phillips  had  charged  the  jury  very  strongly  upon  this 
count  and  immediately  granted  the  motion  for  a  new  trial. 
The  defendants  charged  him  with  prejudice  and  the  case 
came  before  J.  S.  Priest  of  St.  Louis.  Judge  Phillips 
stated  very  emphatically  that  he  was  prejudiced  against 
the  methods  of  the  ring  or  "push"  in  the  discharge  of 
their  duties  under  the  law. 

During  the  trial  of  the  case  before  Judge  Priest,  which 
was  conducted  by  John  W.  Beebe  on  the  part  of  Mrs. 
Drake,  the  controls  told  Mr.  Drake  where  and  with  whom 
Priest  spent  each  evening,  during  the  trial,  and  all  that 
was  said  and  done,  as  well  as  what  his  rulings  each  day 
would  be,  and  the  result  of  the  trial  before  him.  They 
impressed  Mrs.  Drake  so  strongly  with  the  injustice  of 
Priest's  prejudice,  or  agreements  with,  or  desire  to  please 
the  ring,  as  might  have  been  the  case,  that  she  turned  to 
him,  while  she  was  on  the  witness  stand,  and  said: 

"Why  do  you  continue  this  farce  any  longer;  why 
do  you  not  dismiss  the  case  at  once,  such  is  your  agree- 
ment and  intention?" 

His  actions  each  day,  and  the  ending  of  the  trial, 
convinced  all  who  heard  her  of  the  accuracy  of  her  im- 
pressions. The  controls  at  that  time  predicted  what  would 
come  to  each  of  the  participants  in  this  outrage  upon 
justice  and  right.  They  stated  that  it  is  not  wise  to  stand 
in  the  way  of  spiritual  progress,  as  these  men  were  attempt- 
ing to  do.  Justice  sooner  or  later  reaches  all.  Every 
thought  and  act  must  be  followed  by  its  legitimate  conse- 
quences. 

Most  of  the  things  predicted  have  already  occurred. 
The  balance  is  sure  to  come.  No  human  being  can  deviate 
from  the  "plumb-line  and  square"  of  absolute  truth,  right 
and  justice,  in  dealing  with  his  brother  man.  and  not  pay 
the  full  penalty  at  some  point  in  their  lives. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  449 

Later,  when  the  case  was  called  in  the  Court  of 
Appeals,  at  St.  Paul,  the  controls  informed  Mr.  Drake, 
who  was  at  that  time  in  California,  of  the  efforts  made 
to  influence  that  court,  and  of  their  understanding  with 
one  of  his  attorneys.  This  caused  Mr.  Drake  to  visit  St. 
Paul  to  see  that  the  case  was  properly  managed. 

Marshal  Stewart,  yielding  to  a  weakness  in  craving 
favor  from  the  reporters,  became  so  officious  in  his  efforts 
to  shield  the  reporter.  Bloss.  that  Mr.  Drake  was  obliged 
to  commence  suit  against  him  in  order  to  give  him  some- 
thing to  do  on  his  own  account. 

By  this  time  it  commenced  to  be  serious  business  for 
the  ring.  There  was  not  so  much  hearty  laughing  in  the 
Marshal's  back  office.  The  case  against  the  reporter,  Con- 
stable Bloss.  was  called  to  a  higher  court.  He  had  died 
under  the  surgeon's  knife.  The  judge  of  the  criminal 
court.  Henry  P.  White,  died  sitting  in  his  chair.  The 
father  of  another  of  the  deputies  who  had  been  prominent 
in  some  feature  of  the  case  had  also  died.  The  death  of 
th.-se  people  had  been  predicted  by  Mrs.  Drake  at  the 
commencement   of  the  legal   proceedings. 

As  every  move  of  the  conspirators  was  told  to  Mr. 
Drake  by  his  wife's  controls,  he  was  never  surprised  nor 
taken  at  a  disadvantage.  The  methods  and  practice  of 
the  ring  were  made  public  and  their  power  to  control  was 
curtailed.  The  prominent  members  of  the  ring  met  trouble 
in  many  other  ways,  and  in  a  short  time  those  prominent 
iu  this  outrage  were  relegated  to  political  obscurity.  The 
local  Congressman,  who  needlessly  interfered  to  protect 
the  ring,  lost  his  position,  and  the  opposite  political  party 
elected  their  candidate.  It  does  not  pay  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  the  invisible  host,  who  are  heralding  the  coming 
of  a  new  era  of  intellectual,  scientific  an  1  spiritual 
progn 

The  first  trial  of  the  case  against  Stewart,  before 
Judge  John  F.  Phillips,  than  whom  no  man  on  the  bench 
is  abler,  or  more  just  or  apright,  attracted  the  attention 
of   the   whole   state   bar.      Tt    was    a    simrh  -handed    fight    of 

15 


450  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

one  woman,  prominent  in  the  ranks  of  spiritualism,  against 
the  officials  backed  by  the  dominant  political  party  of 
the  city  and  state,  and  protected  by  the  local  courts.  Even 
the  local  Congressman,  belonging  to  the  same  church  and 
party  as  these  officials,  lent  his  presence  to  influence  the 
court.  No  one  ever  heard  of  John  F.  Phillips  being  influ- 
enced or  intimidated  or  failing  to  do  his  duty  His  charge 
to  the  jury  was  a  masterpiece  of  law,  classical  learning  and 
sarcasm  against  Marshal  Stewart  and  his  methods. 

The  second  trial  before  J.  S.  Priest,  of  St.  Louis,  was 
nothing  more  than  a  travesty  upon  law  and  justice.  He 
ruled  against  Mrs.  Drake's  attorneys  on  every  question 
raised,  refused  to  permit  the  evidence  to  go  to  the  jury, 
and  directed  a  verdict  upon  every  count  for  the  defendant. 
He  very  wisely  retired  from  the  bench,  on  the  termination 
of  this  case,  before  Mr.  Drake  had  time  to  commence 
impeachment   proceedings   against  him. 

Mr.  Drake  remarked  at  the  close  of  the  case:  "It  is 
only  what  I  expected,  in  view  of  the  reported  intimacy  of 
the  court  and  the  defendant,  which  has  reached  me  daily 
during  the  trial  through  my  wife's  controls,  and  from 
my  opinion  of  the  court's  character.  Very  few  men  of  the 
court's  intellectual  caliber  ever  reach  the  United  States 
bench,  and  when,  by  accident  or  political  favor,  they  do 
appear  in  such  position,  they  wear  the  ermine  only  for  a 
short  time  when  they  seek  positions  more  congenial  to 
their  moral  tastes  and  more  in  keeping  with  their  char- 
acters." The  manifest  prejudice  of  the  court  in  all  of  his 
rulings,  or  possibly  his  ignorance  of  law  in  the  case,  is 
susceptible  of  only  one  interpretation. 

The  case  was  then  taken  to  the  United  States  Court  of 
Appeals,  sitting  at  St.  Paul,  composed  of  Hon.  Henry  C. 
Caldwell,  of  Little  Rock,  Ark. ;  Hon.  Walter  II  Sanborn, 
of  St.  Paul,  and  Hon.  Amos  M.  Thayer,  of  St.  Louis.  The 
case  had  by  this  time  assumed  considerable  importance  as 
bearing  upon  the  practice  in  many  cities  where  petty 
officials  exceeded  their  authority  in  making  arrests  for 
the  sake  of  f^es,  as  well  as  in  defining  and  interpreting 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  451 

the   rights   and  liberties  of  the   people  under   the   exist- 
ing laws. 

The  spitework  on  the  part  of  the  defendant,  and  the 
church  influence  that  he  called  to  his  aid  against  Mrs. 
Drake  for  her  liberal  teachings  and  her  work  in  the  reform 
movements  of  the  day,  dates  back,  especially  on  the  part 
of  the  church,  to  October,  1878,  at  which  time  Mrs.  Drake 
took  a  fearless  stand  in  defense  of  an  unfortunate  young 
girl  who  visited  at  the  convent  of  the  Franciscan  Brothers, 
in  Quincy,  111.,  in  which  case  the  girl  claimed  to  have  been 
ruined  by  some  of  the  brothers,  a  sensational  account  of 
which  was  published  in  the  St.  Louis  Globe-Democrat,  and 
the  Chicago  Times  of  that  date.  While  Mrs.  Drake  had 
nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the  confession  of  the  girl, 
as  parties  living  in  Quincy  can  testify,  she  did  protect  the 
girl,  after  it  was  made,  until  the  parties  most  interested 
removed  her  from  Mrs.  Drake's  protection. 

The  defense  canvassed  the  country  from  Boston  to 
San  Francisco  and  all  over  the  country,  north  and  south, 
wherever  Mrs.  Drake  had  ever  lived,  to  find  something 
detrimental  to  her  character,  something  pernicious  and 
wrong  in  her  teachings,  something  against  her  character, 
only  to  find  that  she  had  hosts  of  friends  wherever  she 
had  been ;  friends  in  the  churches  and  out  of  the  churches ; 
strong,  determined  friends,  even  among  Catholics;  friends 
among  the  wealthy  and  the  poor ;  among  the  best  and  most 
noted  names  of  the  land,  so  clean  and  unselfish  had  been 
her  life  and  her  labors.  Hence,  the  ring  that  conspired  to 
injure  her  was  obliged  to  come  to  bar  on  the  law  in  the 
case. 

The  Court  of  Appeals  made  short  work  of  the 
nn<],  in  Judge  Caldwell's  most  emphatic  language,  laid 
down  the  law  ;in<l  decided  for  Mrs.  Drake.  He  thanked 
God,  ii'  such  was  the  administration  of  the  law  in  Missouri 
and  such  the  ruling  of  the  courts,  that  he  was  not  obliged 
to  live  in  that  state. 

The  spiritualists  in  all  parts  of  the  country  as  well 
as  the  press  of  the  leading  cities  congratulated  Mr   Drake, 


452  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

who  at  one  time  had  been  prominent  as  an  editor  and  in 
politics,  on  his  ability  and  disposition  to  protect  and  defend 
his  wife  and  her  good  works  against  all  comers,  even  the 
desperate  ring  that  dominated  Kansas  City. 

They  had  selected  her  as  one  of  the  most  prominent 
in  the  ranks  of  spiritualists  with  a  view  of  disgracing 
and  checking  the  growth  of  the  cause  in  Kansas  City, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  gratify  their  religious  prejudices, 
as  incidents  in  the  trial  of  the  cases  developed.  They 
had  not  calculated  on  a  determined  and  persistent  fight 
through  all  the  courts.  Nor  did  they  understand  the 
silent,  irresistible,  invisible  forces  bringing  to  them  con- 
sequences of  their  own  thoughts  and  acts,  until  the  promi- 
nent actors  were  removed,  as  was  the  case  with  those 
prosecuting  and  persecuting  Mott,  the  Materializing  Med- 
ium, in  the  same  state  some  years  before. 

These  cases  were  in  the  courts  four  years,  during  all 
of  which  time  Mr.  Drake  gave  his  entire  time  to  the  undo- 
ing of  this  political  ring,  until  all  of  those  prominent  in 
the  affair,  who  were  still  living  when  the  case  was  ended, 
were  relegated  to  political  obscurity.  Truly  did  the  por- 
tentious  "Dark  Hand"  of  the  house  of  De  Corichie  tell 
of  the  coming  trouble,  and  as  truly  was  the  prophecy  of 
the  Oriental  Master,  made  so  long  ago — nearly  thirty  years 
— verified.  "He  shall  stand  for  our  cause  aud  we  will 
bring  him  success  in  all  our  battles." 

LEOTAH    GIVES    WARNING    OF    DANGER. 

While  living  on  Michigan  Avenue  in  Chicago,  during 
the  World's  Fair,  at  which  time  he  was  pressing  the 
cases  against  the  Kansas  City  officials  who  had  conspired 
to  drive  his  wife  and  all  other  mediums  out  of  that  city, 
Mr.  Drake  was  told  by  Leotah,  the  Indian  maiden,  one 
of  his  wife's  controls,  that  a  black  man  would  come  into 
their  rooms  some  night.  He  said  to  the  control  that  if 
they  knew  that  such  a  thing  would  occur,  they  must  know 
just  when  he  would  come,  and  he  thought  they  should  tell 


CONTIXI'lTY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  453 

him  that  he  mighl  be  prepared  to  give  them  ;i  suitable 
reception. 

Leotah  replied,  "We  know  what  yon  will  do  and  we  do 

not  want  you  to  be  responsible  for  such  acts.  We  will 
awaken  the  medium   when  he  comes." 

Tin1  Kansas  City  cases  had,  at  this  time,  reached  a 
very  acute  stage.  Mr.  Drake  had  been  threatened  with 
death  and  other  dire  results  if  he  did  not  stop  them.  They 
were  heard  to  say.  if  they  could  get  rid  of  him,  that  Mrs. 
Drake  would  drop  the  fight,  as  they  knew  that  retaliation 
had  no  place  in  her  character,  or  in  her  philosophy.  His 
persistency  in  pn&hing  the  oases,  and  his  success  in  finding 
out  their  most  secret  plans,  and  defeating  them,  was  mak- 
ing it  very  expensive  and  annoying  to  the  ring,  or  to 
the  "push,"  as  it  was  called.  They  nmst  get  rid  of  him 
at  any  cost.  He  insisted  that  the  control  tell  him.  All  he 
wanted  was  a  fair  chance  with  the  black  intruder,  whoever 
he  might  be.  They  admitted  that  they  knew  when  he 
would  come,  but  they  would  not  tell.  They  would,  how- 
ever, be  on  hand  and  would  awaken  the  medium. 

The  night  came.  Before  retiring  the  medium  was 
unusually  restless  and  constantly  watched  the  door.  She, 
contrary  to  custom,  on  retiring,  placed  a  chair  against  the 
door  and  adjusted  it  two  or  three  times  before  going  to 
sleep.  Even  these  unusual  actions  did  not  arouse  his  sus- 
picions as  to  their  true  cause.  lie  attributed  it  to  ner- 
vousness on  account  of  the  presence  of  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands nf  people  of  all  kinds  and  classes  in  the  city  attend- 
ing the  World's   Fair. 

About  2  o'clock  in  the  morning  he  was  awakened  by 
a  most  unusually  frightened  scream  from  his  wife.  Be 
instantly  took  her  by  the  shoulders  and  tried  to  awaken 
her.  She  finally  gasped  out,-  "Man  in  the  room."  Then 
came  the  thought  of  what  the  control  had  told  him.  He 
seized  his  revolver  and  started  for  the  fronl  parlor.  Seeing 
the  door  open  into  the  front  hall  and  the  Btreel  door  open, 

he   rushed   out    and    saw   some   one   crossing   the   street    on 

the  run.     Evidently  the  negro  had  hen  as  badly  fright- 


454  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ened  by  her  shriek  as  she  was  by  the  sight  of  his  black 
face,  with  a  long  gleaming  knife  in  his  teeth,  while  he 
held  a  club  in  one  hand  and  two  lighted  matches  in  his 
other  hand  as  he  peered  down  into  her  face.  When  she 
screamed  he  threw  the  lighted  matches  in  her  face  and  ran. 

She  felt  a  hand  placed  on  her  and  opened  her  eyes 
in  the  blinding  light  of  the  burning  matches.  She  first 
thought  she  had  been  sick  and  unconscious.  Realizing  the 
situation,  she  screamed  with  fright.  By  what  prescience 
came  her  restlessness  and  actions  before  retiring?  Did 
she  catch  the  thought  of  the  assassin  as  he  planned  his 
deadly   mission  ? 

On  examining  the  locks  and  keys  the  next  morning 
it,  was  found  that  the  keys  in  both  doors  had  been  turned 
from  the  outside  by  some  instrument.  This  was  not  the 
end  of  the  assassin's  attempts.  Probably  reasoning  that 
he  would  not  be  expected  to  return  the  next  night  he 
would  take  them  at  a  disadvantage  and  be  there. 

Leotah  came  and  said,  ' '  Did  we  not  tell  you  we  would 
awaken  the  medium.  We  helped  to  scara  him,  but  he  will 
come  again.     He  is  paid  to  come  here."  • 

"I  don't  think  you  are  any  friend  of  mine  if  you 
know  when  he  is  coming  and  don't  tell  me,"  was  Mr. 
Drake's  reply.  "I  have  no  objection  to  dying,  but  I  don't 
want  to  be  killed  in  my  sleep. 

Still  they  would  not  tell.  She  only  said,  "We  are 
more  powerful  than  you  think.  We  will  frighten  him 
away  again." 

"Very  well,"  he  replied,  "I  will  take  care  of  myself 
without  any  of  your  help." 

That  night  he  placed  a  chair  at  the  door  in  such  a  way 
that  it  would  not  let  the  door  open  readily  and  would 
make  a  noise  when  it  was  opened.  About  the  same  hour 
in  the  morning,  when  people  sleep  soundest,  he  heard  the 
chair  move.  He  slipped  quietly  out  of  bed,  got  his  revolver 
and  was  carefully  going  towards  the  door,  leading  into 
the  front  parlor,  when  out  went  his  wife's  hand  and 
pushed  the  door  shut  in  his  face,  just  as  he  could  see  the 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  455 

chair  which  he  had  placed  against  the  door  leading  in 
the  front  hall  slide  back  and  the  door  slowly  opening. 
His  wife  slept  on  the  side  of  the  bed  next  to  the  door 
which  she  could  just  reach  without  getting  up.  As  the 
door  closed  in  his  face  she  said,  "Is  that  you?" 

"Yes,  <>f  course,  what  on  earth  made  you  shut  the 
door  in  my  face?  But  for  that  I  would  have  had  that 
nigger  this  time." 

"Did  I  shut  the  door?     I  must  have  been  asleep." 

On  going  into  the  parlor  the  doors  were  found  wide 
open  to  the  street  as  before,  and  a  fleeing  form  was  seen 
just  turning  the  corner  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street. 
This  ended  their  attempts  in  that  direction. 

The  next  attempt  showed  how  far-reaching  is  the 
church  influence  they  called  to  their  aid.  Mr.  Drake  had 
for  years  carried  a  small  flask  of  brandy  in  his  valise. 
Someone,  who  calculated  that  good  brandy  was  carried 
only  to  be  drunk,  placed  about  a  teaspoonful  of  arsenic  in 
this  flask,  where  it  was  finally  discovered. 

The  cases  being  carried  to  the  United  States  Court 
of  Appeals,  where  it  is  extremely  hazardous  to  use  influ- 
ence and  to  pervert  the  course  of  justice,  and  where  very 
few  judges  like  Priest  hold  their  places  on  the  bench  very 
long,  the  ring  was  ready  to  do  anything  to  stop  what  at 
first  afforded  them  great  amusement. 

SOPHISTRY  OF  THE  DUAL  MIND. 

In  the  attempt  of  some  writers  to  formulate  a  tenable 
theory  of  a  "dual  mind"  as  a  basis  on  which  to  attack 
Spiritualism,  their  usual  plan  is  to  select  a  title  calcu- 
lated to  make  spiritualists  buy  their  book  as  the  surest 
means  of  presenting  their  sophistry  in  sugar-coated  form. 
They  assume  for  the  major  premise  of  their  syllogism,  and 
assert  as  a  genera]  truth,  that  which  the  facts  do  not 
wan-ant  and  which  they  do  not  attempt  to  prove,  or  demon- 
strate; ami.  then,  with  Logical  precision,  reach  a  eon- 
elusion    on    which    they    formulate    their    insidious    theory. 

The  term  ''mind."  when  not  used  as  synonymous  with 


45G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

spirit,  or  soul,  is  defined  as  a  product,  as  the  result  of 
spirit  operating  upon  gray  matter— brain  matter.  When 
operating  through  the  cerebrum,  the  results  are  classified 
as  reason  and  will.  Manifesting  through  the  cerebellum, 
we  have  the  co-ordination  of  the  voluntary  movements. 
Operating  through  the  solar  plexus  and  along  its  related 
nerves,  which  is  sometimes  designated  as  "the  brain  of 
organic  life,"  the  results  are  classified  as  involuntary 
functions  of  the  body,  because  seemingly  carried  on  inde- 
pendent of  will,  wThich,  however,  is  not  wholly  true.  Mind 
being  the  effect,  while  spirit  is  the  cause,  it  is  quite  proper 
to  classify  effects.  To  consider  mind  as  an  effect  and 
as  the  cause  of  that  effect,  is  an  inconsistency. 

-  The  manifestations  of  spirit  in  the  form  of  mind  is 
not  only  "dual,"  but  is  manifold— -is  infinite.  It  may 
be  compared  to  stored  electricity  operating  on  many  wires, 
some  producing  light,  some  turning  machinery,  some 
imperceptibly  disintegrating  metal  —  "objective"  and 
"subjective"  results.  To  take  anyone  or  two  of  these 
results,  or  to  place  all  results  under  two  classifications 
and  call  them  electricity,  is  about  as  logical  as  to  call  the 
results  of  spirit  operating  upon  brain  matter,  spirit,  or 
to  call  such  a  result  a  "dual"  mind.  The  operator  and 
the  result  of  the  operation— the  doer  and  the  thing  done 
are  not  identical. 

It  is  an  indubitable  fact  that  will  is  the  distinc- 
tive essence  of  spirit,  and  is  to  the  spirit  what  voltage  is 
to  electricity.  It  is  a  further  incontrovertible  fact  that 
will  controls  the  body.  On  this  fact,  supplemented  by  the 
will  and  skill  of  disembodied  spirits,*  system  of  healing 


*NOTE: — Whether  the  Christian  Science  operator,  the 
mental  and  magnetic  healer  admits  it  or  not,  they  are  all  aided 
in  making  their  cures  by  their  spirit  controls.  The  wiser  and 
more  experienced  the  controls  and  the  better  developed  these 
operators  and  healers,  the  more  successful  the  cures.  Let  those 
who  possess  little  or  comparatively  no  mediumistic  powers  try 
to  cure  by  any  of  these  methods  and  note  results.  T'~e  suc- 
cessful teachers  on  new  lines  of  thought  are  likewise  thus 
assisted.     A  recognition  of  this  fact  adds  to  their  efficiency. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  457 

of  the  sick  are  based ;  and  is  one  of  the  tenets  of  Christian 
Scientists— a  class  of  thinkers  who  have  segregated  a  few 
spiritual  truths  and  laws  upon  which  they  have  founded 
,1  Beet,  rather  than  a  philosophy.  The  vibrations  of  will 
in  the  performance  of  these  so-called  involuntary  func- 
tions may  he  so  slight  as  to  be  Imperceptible,  as  in  the 
circulation,  respiration,  digestion,  perspiration  and  otner 
physical  functions;  but,  lower  the  vouiance,  or  increase 
it,  and  note  the  effect,  even  to  the  total  cessation  of  these 
functions',  ruder  strong  emotions  of  excessive  joy,  fright 
or  anger,  these  functions  have  been  known  to  cease  and 
death  ensue.  These  things  show  that  the  will  of  the 
spirit   controls   these   results. 

tain  scientists  claim  that  the  location  of  the  will 
is  in  the  ganglia  that  secretes  the  infinitessimal  particles 
of  nervous  life.  Be  this  as  it  may.  the  will  belong-s  to  the 
spirit.  This  individualized  force,  this  integral  spirit,  can 
not  be  divided  into  objective  and  subjective  entities;  one 
subject  to  the  other:  one  all  moral,  the  other  irresponsible; 
one  wise  and  the  other  not.  The  results,  or  the  effect  of 
the  spirit's  operations,  may  be  classified  and  named 
according  to  the  whim  of  the  classifier. 

All  of  the  manifold  evidences  of  human  life  are  from 
spirit  manifesting  through  such  avenues  as  have  been 
opened  to  it,  or  that  it  has  opened  to  itself.  All  phe- 
nomena related  to  human  life  is  from  spirit,  either  in  or 
out  of  the  physical  body.  The  attempt  to  refer  to  invol- 
untary cerebral  action  all  visions,  inspiration,  prophecy 
and  other  spirit  manifestations,  as  is  attempted  by  this 
"dual  mind"  theory,  which  has  no  foundation  in  the 
fact,  as  we  have  shown,  is  futile.  It  is  a  sophistry  per- 
nicious to  belief  in  spiritual  truth  and  destructive  of 
knowledge  of  the  continuity  of  individual  life,  which  is  a 
demonstrable,  scientific  fact.  Such  a  theory  is  illogical, 
because  based  upon  premises  deduced  from  assumed  gen- 
eral truths  or  facts,  that  are  not.  and  cannol  he  dem- 
onstrated. , 

Involuntary  cerebration,  or  unknown  action  of  spirit 


458  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

(mind)  will  not  account  for  any  spiritual  manifestation. 
Either  this  whole  class  of  manifestations,  which  it  is 
attempted  to  explain  by  this  theory,  is  delusive,  or  is  pro- 
duced by  voluntary  intelligence,  outside  of  the  physical 
body  If  a  consecutive  message  comes,  or  a  voice  is  heard, 
which  is  not  from  an  embodied  intelligence,  it  is  positive 
proof  that  it  is  the  voluntary  action  of  a  disembodied 
spirit.  The  cerebrum  per  se— brain  matter— cannot  act. 
Individualized  spirit  force— conscious  spirit— is  the  only 
actor  that  can  produce  intelligent  results.  There  is  no 
such  thing  as  intelligent,  involuntary,  spiritual  action. 
When  the  cerebrum  is  at  rest,  as  in  sleep  and  unconscious 
trance,  the  spirit  is  by  no  means  comatose.  It  may,  at  such 
times,  carry  on  mental  operations,  receive  suggestions  and 
informations  from  other  spirits,  in  or  out  of  the  body, 
and  communicate  the  same.  That  the  brain  is  used,  and 
the  information  conveyed  transcends  the  knowledge  and 
intelligence  of  the  subject  and  all  other  living  persons 
present,  is  prima  facie  evidence  that  the  information  is 
given  by  a  disembodied  intelligence— by  a  spirit. 

Any  attempt  to  postulate  this  "two-mind"  theory 
upon  assumed,  involuntary,  cerebral  action,  or  the  opera- 
tions of  a  disembodied  intelligence  using  the  brain  of  a  liv- 
ing person,  or  any  attempt  to  claim  all  knowledge  and  wis- 
dom for  the  embodied  spirit  or  soul,  by  reason  of  its  divine 
nature,  on  the  strength  of  the  wide  range  of  information 
and  wisdom  conveyed  when  the  person  is  asleep,  in  trance, 
or  hypnotic  condition,  is  illogical  and  unscientific  in  so  far 
as  the  one  important  factor — the  disembodied  intelligence, 
that  is  always  present  in  all  such  instances,  is  not  taken 
into  account. 

The  premises  denied  and  the  reality  of  the  truths 
and  facts  upon  which  they  are  predicated  questioned,  it  is 
not  necessary  to  consider  the  inconsistencies  of  the  rea- 
soning or  the  conclusions.  In  the  judgment  of  the  court 
— public  opinion — upon  this  question  of  the  "dual  mind" 
theory  is— not  proven. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  459 

OTHER    THEORIES. 

Certain  other  would-be  "higher  scientists,"  noting 
some  kinds  of  motion  and  some  of  the  qualities  or  con- 
ditions of  matter,  have  attempted  to  promulgate  a  theory 
that  mind  or  consciousness  is  only  blind  force— that  life 
is  only  vibration  caused  by  the  expanding  and  contracting 
of  matter  by  heal  and  cold  -a  purely  materialistic  theory, 
which  covers  only  a  very  small  portion  of  the  manifesta- 
tions of  life.  Heat  sometimes  expands  and  sometimes  it 
does  not.  Via  versa  with  cold,  which  is  only  the  absence 
of  heat  or  low  vibration  These  attempted  theories,  to 
have  any  standing,  whatever,  must  recognize  mind  as  an 
effect  and  cause  at  one  and  the  same  time — as  the  cause 
of  itself— the  thinker  and  the  thought— the  motion  and 
the  thing  moved,  recognizing  no  other  element  or  force 
connected  with  it.  If  such  theory  was  either  scientific 
or  logical  it  does  not  cover  a  single  psychical  fact  not  con- 
nected  with  a  physical  body. 

The  brain  is  the  instrument  used  by  the  ego — the 
thinker  and  doer,  in  other  words,  by  the  spirit  in  the 
various  manifestations  of  life;  and,  anything  affecting 
this  instrument,  such  as  stimulants,  sedatives  or  narcotics, 
must  necessarily  modify  the  effect  produced  through  this 
instrument;  and  may  not  affect  the  spirit  itself. 

SPIRITUALISM    CO-EVAI     WITH    THE    HUMAN    RACE. 

Communication  between  departed  spirits  and  men  on 
earth  is  as  old  as  the  human  race,  and  is,  in  fact,  the 
foundation  of  all   religions,  past  and  present. 

That  communication  between  mortals  and  spirits 
existed  through  all  the  ages  of  history  is  admitted  by 
the  highest  church  authority 

In  the  Encyclopedia  Biblica,  Vol.  I,  column  1121,  it 
is  said:  "In  the  ancient  world,  divination  by  calling  back 
the  spirits  of  the  dead  was  widespread."  And  in  Vol. 
III.  column  2895  <»)*  the  Bame  work,  we  read:  "Magic 
r.sts  upon  the  belief  that  the  powers  of  the  world  are  con- 


460  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

trolled  by  spirits."  Again  we  read:  "The  Babylonians 
had  the  same  idea  as  the  Israelites  respecting  the  spirits 
of  the  departed,  and  the  possibility  of  causing  them  to 
appear."  This  is  plainly  shown  by  the  repeated  mention 
of  Necromancers— those  who  caused  spirits  to  appear- 
in  Babylonian  history  of  official  names.  — Encyc.  Biblica, 
Vol.  Ill,  Col.  2899. 

L.  H.  King,  in  his  work,  "Babylonian  Magic  and 
Sorcery  (1896)  No.  53,"  gives  the  translation  of  the  prayer 
of  one  possessed  by  a  spirit,  with  a  petition  for  deliver- 
ance from  its  control.  And  this  is  referred  to  by  the  Ency- 
clopedia Biblica,  Vol.  Ill,  column  2899,  as  proof  of  the 
ancient  Babylonian  belief.  And  in  Vol.  X,  page  452, 
Library  of  Universal  .Knowledge,  it  is  said:  "Necromancy 
is  a  mode  of  divination  by  calling  back  the  dead.  It 
originated  in  the  East,  in  the  times  of  the  most  remote 
antiquity. ' ' 

The  word  necromancy  is  composed  of  two  Greek 
words,  necros  meaning  dead,  and  manteia,  meaning  a 
prophecy,  a  communication.  Primarily  a  prophet  was 
one  learned  in  the  mysteries  of  nature,  and  a  prophecy 
was  a  teaching,  discourse,  or  communication  of  a  prophet. 
See  Watson's  Biblical  and  Theological  Dictionary,  page 
785,  and  cases  cited. 

Hence  "necromancy,"  a  word  shamefully  abused  by 
the  church,  literally  means  spirit  communication.  And 
the  word  necromanteion  was  the  place,  temple  or  slrrine, 
where  spirit  communications  were  given  to  mortals.  And 
these  consecrated  temples  and  shrines  were  established 
through  all  the  nations  of  antiquity.  They  were  usually 
presided  over  by  persons  consecrated  to  that  service. 

Most  of  the  Greek  shrines  for  spirit  communication 
were  presided  over  by  Psychagogoi.  This  word  is  a  com- 
pound of  two  Greek  words,  Psyche,  meaning  soul,  or  spirit, 
and  agogoi.  meaning  leading,  attracting,  evoking.  Hence 
the  "Psyohacogoi"  were  the  persons  through  whose  instru- 
mentality spirits  were  able  to  appear  or  hold  converse  with 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE. 

mortals.  The  functions  of  the  "Psychagogoi"  were  iden- 
tical with  that  of  the  modern  medium. 

Striking  instances  of  the  return  of  spirits,  their  mate- 
rialization and  communication  with  mortals  are  to  be  found 
in  the  case  of  the  return  of  Samuel  through  the  medium- 
ship  of  the  woman  of  Endor,  and  that  of  Melissa,  Queen 
of  Corinth,  who  had  been  murdered  by  her  husband  Peri- 
ander,  and  who  upon  his  solicitation  materialized  and 
communicated  with  him. 

Saul  and  his  two  men  came  to  the  medium  of  Endor 
by  night:  The  law  of  spirit  communication  was  the  same 
then  ;i>  it  is  today.  The  spirits  of  the  departed  then,  as 
now.   can   most  successfully   materialize  in  the  dark. 

In  Book  XI  of  Homer's  Odyssey,  we  have  a  most 
graphic  account  of  the  visit  of  Ulysses,  King  of  Ithaca, 
to  a  celebrated  Xecromanteion.  or  consecrated  shrine  of 
spirit  communication.  Ulysses,  King  of  Ithaca,  was  one 
of  the  principal  Greek  heroes  in  the  Trojan  war.  lie  was 
persuaded  by  Agamemnon  and  Menelaus,  his  brother,  to 
join  in  the  Trojan  expedition. 

In  this  expedition  against  Troy.  Agamemnon  was 
chosen  chief  commander,  and  his  brother  Menelaus  was 
next  in  command.  Then  in  their  order  came  Achilles  and 
Patroclus,  the  two  A j axes,  Teucer,  Nestor  and  his  son 
Antilochus,  Ulysses,  Diomedes,  Idomeneus  and  Philoctotes 
as  subordinate  leaders.  The  entire  Argive  army  of 
100,000  men  and  1186  ships  assembled  in  the  harbor 
of   Anlis. 

For  ten  long  years  the  siege  continued  ere  the  walls 
of   tiles  fell.     Ulysses  then  set   out  for  his  home  in  Ithaca. 

But,  driven  by  adverse  winds  and  cruel  fate,  ten  years 
had  passed  ere  he  reached  his  natal  shore. 

The  main  incidents  of  the  siege  and  fall  of  Troy,  the 
wanderings  <>\'  Ulysses  and  the  fate  of  Agamemnon  are 
related  in  Homer's  [Iliad  and  Odyssey.  During  his  wan- 
derings on  his  return  to  his  native  Boil  once  again  to  see 
his  cherished  wife  Penelope  and  his  son  Ascanius,  the 
idoi  of  his  heart,  Ulysses  desired  to  communicate  with  the 


462  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

spirit  of  Teiresias,  the  Theban  prophet.  In  Book  XI,  en- 
titled Necromanteia,  or  Spirit  Communications,  a  full  ac- 
count is  given  of  the  visit  of  Ulysses  to  one  of  the  conse- 
crated shrines  of  spirit  communion. 

True,  some  of  our  good  Christian  writers  in  translat- 
ing the  Odyssey,  try  to  make  it  appear  that  Ulysses  de- 
scended into  hell  and  communed  with  the  spirits  there. 
And  some  of  them  have  gone  so  far  as  tc  translate 
Necromanteia,  the  title  of  the  book  so  as  to  read,  "The 
Descent  of  Ulysses  into  Hell."  But  we,  fortunately,  have 
the  original  Greek  text  before  us,  and  are  not  compelled 
to  depend  upon  a  Christian  translation. 

Ulysses  launched  his  ships  and  with  auspicious  winds 
sailed  for  the  land  of  the  Cimirians  enshrouded  in  darkness. 

On  his  way  to  the  consecrated  shrine,  Elpenor,  one 
of  his  trusted  men,  drank  too  deeply  of  the  sparkling 
wine,  got  drunk  and  was  left  by  Ulysses  at  the  Island  of 
Eaea,  sometimes  called  the  Island  of  Circe,  from  the  fact 
that  Circe,  a  lady  skilled  in  magic  arts,  resided  there. 

Elpenor  was  conducted  to  the  roof  of  Circe's  house 
and  there  fell  asleep.  It  was  customary  in  ancient  times 
to  have  the  sleeping  apartments  on  the  housetops. 

When  Eljienor  awoke  he  forgot  where  he  was  and  fell 
from  the  roof  atnd  broke  his  neck.  Ulysses  finally  reached 
the  Necromanteion,  the  place  dedicated  to  spirit  communi- 
cations, after  dark. 

Then,  it  is  said:  "With  prayers  and  vows  he  im- 
plored the  spirits  of  the  dead. ' '  Then  follows  the  account : 
"Then  gathered  there  spirits,  out  of  the  darkness,  of  those 
that  were  dead  and  gone— brides  and  unwedded  youth, 
decrepit  old  men,  and  delicate  maids  with  hearts  but  new 
to  sorrow.  And  many  pierced  with  brazen  spears,  men 
slain  in  battle,  came  wearing  their  blood-stained  armor. 
In  crowds,  they  flocked  around  from  every  side."  He 
then  says:  "First  came  the  spirit  of  Elpenor.  I  grieved 
to  the  bottom  of  my  heart  and  wept  to  see  him,  and  speak- 
ing in  winged  words,   I  said:     'Elpenor    how  came  you 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  463 

in  this  murky  gloom  1     Faster  you  came  on  foot  than  1 

with  my  swift   painted  ships.'  " 

"The  spirit  answering,  said:     'Heaven's  cruel  d< i 

and  excess  of  wine  destroyed  me.  After  I  went  to  sleep 
on  Circe's  house,  I  did  not  notice  how  again  to  descend 
the  long  ladder.  And  I  fell  headlong  from  the  rootf.  My 
neck  was  broken  in  the  socket,  and  my  soul  came  down  to 
the  abode  of  spirits.'  " 

The  spirit  of  Elpenor  implored  Ulysses  to  bury  his 
body.  This  Ulysses  promised  and  on  his  return  fulfilled 
his  vow. 

Next  came  Anticlea,  the  mother  of  Ulysses,  who,  left 
at  Ithaca  nearly  twenty  years  before,  had  passed  to  spirit 
life.  She  told  him  of  her  death,  of  what  had  occurred  dur- 
ing all  these  years  at  his  home  and  on  his  native  soil.  She 
told  him  of  his  wife  Penelope,  how  that  many  suitors  im- 
portuned her  hand  and  plighted  love,  and  how,  faithful  to 
her  loved  Ulysses,  she  refused  them  all.  She  told  him  of 
his  son  Ascanius.  how  he  had  grown  to  man's  estate,  and 
then  she  disappeared. 

Then  came  the  spirit  of  Teiresias,  the  great  Theban 
prophet,  who  told  him  of  his  many  toils,  his  trials  and  his 
victories  of  the  past,  his  adverse  surroundings  of  the  pres- 
ent, the  fidelty  of  Penelope,  and  the  longing  hopes  of 
wife  and  son,  and  then  he  stepped  into  the  abode  of  spirits. 
Then  Anticlea,  the  anxious  mother  of  Ulysses  again  ap- 
peared and  a  long  converse  held.  Ulysses  says:  "As  she 
thus  spoke  I  yearned  to  clasp  the  spirit  of  my  mother. 
Three  times  the  impulse  came.  My  heart  urged  me  to  clasp 
her  and  three  times  out  off  my  arms,  like  a  shadow  or  a 
dream  she  flitted.  And  then,  in  winged  words,  I  said: 
'My  mother,  why  not  stay  for  me  who  longs  to  clasp  you.  or 
is  it  a  phantom  sent  by  Persephone  to  make  me  weep  and 
sorrow  more?'  She  answering  said:  'Ah.  my  own  child, 
in  no  wise  is  Persephone  beguiling  you,  but  this  Is  the 
way  with  mortals  when  they  die.  The  sinews  then  no 
longer  hold  the  flesh  and  hones  together.  For  these  the 
strong  flame  of  the  burning  fire  destroys  when  once  the 


464  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

life  leaves  the  white  bones,  and  like  a  dream  the  spirit 
flies  away.'  " 

Then  one  by  one  the  spirits  of  those  he  once  had 
known  came  for  eager  converse  with  him.  He  continues: 
"But,  all  I  cannot  tell,  nor  even  name  the  many  heroes, 
wives  and  daughters  whom  I  saw  ere  that  immortal  night 
had  passed  away.  Then  came  the  sorrowing  spirit  of 
Agamemnon  and  around  him  thronged  the  spirits  of  men, 
who,  by  his  side,  in  the  house  of  Aegisthus,  were  slain. 
He  knew  me  and  came  alone  and  stretched  out  Ins  hands 
most  eagerly  to  grasp  me,  and  speaking  in  troubled  words 
T  said:  "Agamemnon,  great  son  of  Atreus,  lord  of  men, 
what  doom  o'erwhelmed  you?'  He  answering,  said:  'It 
was  Aegisthus  plotting  death  and  doom,  who  slew  me, 
aided  by  my  accursed  wife,  when  he  had  bidden  me  home, 
and  had  me  at  the  feast  even  as  one  kills  the  ox  before  the 
manger.  You  have  been  present  at  the  death  of  many 
men — men  slain  in  single  combat,  and  in  the  press  of  Avar. 
Yet.  here,  you  would  have  felt  your  heart  most  troubled 
to  see  how  around  the  mixing  bowl,  and  by  the  loaded 
tables,  we  lay  about  the  hall,  and  all  the  pavements  ran 
with  blood.  Saddest  of  all,  I  heard  the  cry  of  Priam's 
daughter,  Cassandra,  whom  crafty  Clytaemnestra  slew  be- 
side me.  and  I  on  my  side,  lifted  my  hand  and  clutched  my 
sword  in  dying.  But  she,  the  brutal  woman,  turned  away, 
and  did  not  deign  to  draw  with  her  hand  my  eyelids  down, 
or  press  my  lips  together.'  "  He  then  told  Ulysses  many 
things  of  interest  to  him  respecting  his  home  and  neigh- 
bore  and  acquaintances. 

"Then  came  the  spirit  of  Achilles  and  other  spirits  of 
those  who  were  dead  and  gone,  heroes  who  fought  and 
died  under  the  walls  of  Troy  and  those  who  were  slain  on 
the  battle  field.  Only  the  spirit  of  Ajax  held  aloof,  still 
angry  at  the  victory  I  gained  in  the  contest  at  the  ships  for 
the  armor  of  Achilles.  I  spoke  in  gentle  words  and  said : 
'Ajax,  will  you  not.  even  in  death,  forget  your  wrath 
about  the  accursed  armor?'  I  spake,  he  did  not  answer, 
but  went  his  way." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  4G5 

A  word  of  explanation  as  to  the  untimely  fate  of 
Agamemnon  During  his  absence  Aegisthus  was  installed 
into  the  heart  and  affections  of  Clytaemnestra,  the  wife  of 
Agamemnon,  and  they  plotted  his  murder  on  his  return. 
And  the  plot  was  executed  as  described  above. 

From  the  foregoing  we  sec  that  the  laws  of  spirit 
control  were  the  same  in  the  time  of  Ulysses,  1300  years 
before  the  Christian  era.  that  they  are  to-day.  These  com- 
munications were  given  in  the  dark. 

Spirits  innumerable  came  clothed  in  a  temporary  ma- 
terial body  and  talked  face  to  face  with  Ulysses.  They 
appeared,  pierced  with  brazen  spears,  and  some  with  blood- 
stained armor. 

Study  the  narrative,  ;\nd  the  more  you  do  so  the  more 
will  you  see  that  every  detail  of  the  spirit  control  was 
manifested  under  the  same  laws  and  in  the  same  manner 
as  similar  manifestations  occur  to-day. 

CLARENCE   CATCHES  THE   MUSIC   BOX   WHEN   THROWN  OUT  OF 
THE   CIRCLE. 

Mr.  George  F.  Whitney  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  in  dis- 
cussing spiritual  phenomena  with  a  gentleman  then  living 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  who  claimed  that  the  spirits  in 
Mrs.  Lord's  seance  could  not  carry  articles  to  the  outside 
of  the  circle,  said: 

"I  know  from  personal  experience  this  to  be  an  error. 
I  have  attended  many  of  her  Beances  in  Boston  and  in  the 
West.  One  evening  in  particular  I  sat  outside  the  ring  of 
sitters,  and  beyond  the  reach  of  all.  A  week  previous  to 
this  sennce.  however.  I  had  attended  a  private  seance  else- 
where, in  which  I  made  arrangements  with  a  spirit  friend 
to  give  me,  if  possible,  certain  manifestations  at  Mtb. 
Lord's  as  a  proof  to  me  of  that  friend's  presence.  I  felt 
much  curiosity  while  sitting  outside  the  ring,  to  know  if 
the  promise  given  could  l»e  fulfilled.  Suddenly  a  guitar 
which  had  beep  left  inside  the  circle  formed  by  the  sitters, 

above  their  heads  and  descending  gently  onto  my  lap, 
resting  there  nearly  a  minute,  giving  forth  in  the  mean- 


466  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

time  beautiful  strains  of  music.  As  the  music  ceased,  I 
raised  my  hand  and  it  was  grasped  by  another  and  shaken 
vigorously  the  hand  remaining  with  me,  according  to  prom- 
ise, long  enough  for  me  to  examine  it  as  thoroughly  as  the 
sense  of  touch  would  permit,  the  seance  being  a  totally 
dark  one.  Giving  my  hand  another  vigorous  shake,  it 
vanished,  taking  the  guitar  into  the  circle  over  the  heads 
of  the  sitters.  The  hand  appeared  to  me  to  be  very  small 
and  delicate.  To  the  touch  it  was  warm  and  velvety  but 
just  as  tangible  as  my  own.  The  fingers  were  smooth  and 
tapering.  And  when  grasping  mine,  they  were  just  as 
active  and  pliable  as  any  human  fingers  corJd  be. 

At  another  seance  given  by  Mrs.  Lord,  at  which  I  was 
present,  some  noted  manifestations  occurred,  which  to  me 
Were  good  proof  that  spirits  do  return.  Among  those 
present  was  a  young  man,  who  claimed  to  be  a  reporter 
on  one  of  the  daily  papers.  He  professed  to  be  a  confirmed 
skeptic,  and  so  expressed  himself  loud  enough  to  be  heard 
by  all  present,  claiming  that  the  manifestations  were  mere 
tricks  of  the  medium,  and  such  he  would  prove  them  to 
be,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all,  before  the  seance  was  over. 
He  failed,  however.  He  constantly  grasped  "at  the  dark- 
ness" every  time  anything  occurred  near  him,  with  the 
hope  of  catching  the  medium's  hand  or  sleeve.  I  sat  at  his 
right  side,  and  held  his  right  wrist.  This  gave  me  a  good 
chance  to  closely  observe  all  that  passed.  At  the  medium's 
request  that  he  must  not  break  the  circle  in  his  efforts  to 
grab  the  spirits,  a  discussion  arose  between  them  regard- 
ing the  genuineness  of  the  manifestations,  which  resulted 
in  his  asking  the  medium  to  allow  him  to  apply  a  test 
to  the  then  present  so-called  spirits.  His  request  was 
granted  on  condition  that  he  should  not  break  the  circle, 
to  which  he  agreed.  Suddenly,  and  without  a  moment's 
warning,  he  caught  the  small  music  box,  which  was  played 
by  turning  a  crank,  and  required  two  hands  to  play  it,  and, 
which  had  been  left  on  his  lap  by  some  unseen  fingers, 
and  threw  it  quickly  into  the  air  over  the  heads  of  the  sit- 
ters.    The  room  Avas  totally  dark  and  you  can  imagine  my 


CONT1XI  NTY      OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  407 

surprise,  and  the  skeptic's  also  when  the  music  box,  in- 
stead of  falling  to  the  floor,  as  expected,  start  .'d  off  on  a 
musical  tour  around  the  room,  over  the  heads  of  the  sit- 
t<Ts.  and  finally  came  back  and  dropped  into  the  young 
man's  lap.  He  was  very  quiet  and  thoughtful  during  the 
pest  "1'  the  seance,  and  mm  doubt  is  a  firm  spiritualist  to- 
day. 

Cleveland,  Ohio.  Georgk  P.  Whitney. 

ANIMALS    AKi:   CLAIRVOYANT   AND   CLAIKAIDIKNT. 

Facts  warrant  the  conclusion  that  animals  can  see  and 
hear  spirits,  and  are  amenable  to  their  control  and  direc- 
tion. That  they  think  and  reason,  cannot  be  successfully 
disputed.  Science  must  contradict  itself  to  demonstrate 
that  this  stage  of  existence  is  all  that  is  granted  to  them. 
What  their  next  stage  of  existence  may  be  is  not  so  clear. 
Clairvoyants  see  animals  which  are  not  visible  to  other 
people,  and  until  such  animal  presence,  if  actual  presence 
it  be,  can  be  demonstrated  to  the  sense  and  reason  of  others 
and  simultaneously  demonstrated  to  more  than  one  who 
are  not  clairvoyant,  there  will  be  question  and  doubt. 

When  Mrs.  Drake  lived  in  Fondulac,  "Wis..  Mr. 
(I.  W.  Hooker  purchased  a  young,  four-year-old,  unbroken 
colt.  ]\<-  was  black  as  Erebus,  wild  and  untamable.  Few 
men  were  bold  enough  to  bridle  or  attempt  to  harness  him ; 
and,  none  had  been  able  to  hitch  him  to  any  kind  of  a 
vehicle.  He  was  a  beauty  and  knew  his  strength  and  defied 
all  efforts  to  do  anything  with  him. 

Clarence  controlled  the  medium  and  asked  Mr.  Hooker 
if  he  was  willing  he  should  try  their  power  utl  him.  Mr. 
Hooker's  faith  in  Clarence  knew  no  limits  and  he  readily 
assented.  Walking  deliberately  ont  to  the  colt,  the  medium, 
under  Clarence's  control,  put  her  hand  oil  his  arched  and 
glossy  neck.  Mr.  W.  P.  Kin'_r.  now  living  in  Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin,  said  to  Mr.  Hooker:  "Do  not  permit  her  to 
touch  that  colt,  he  will  hurt  her." 

"No,  he  wont."  was  the  reply.    "Don't  you  Bee  how  he 


468  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

behaves?  He  acts  as  though  he  expected  her  to  pet  him. 
See  him  put  his  head  down." 

To  Mr.  King's  astonishment,  and  to  the  surprise  of 
all  witnessing  the  operation,  she  called  for  the  bridle.  This 
wild  horse  put  his  head  down  and  she  put  it  on,  and  then 
calling  for  the  rest  of  the  harness,  put  it  on  and  hitched 
him  to  a  buggy.  There  was  not  the  least  evidence  of 
timidity  on  the  part  of  the  medium  during  all  this  time. 
Any  old  family  horse  could  not  have  behaved  better. 

After  this,  Mr.  Hooker  could  hitch  him  up  and  drive 
without  any  difficulty  as  long  as  the  medium  was  present. 
It  is  a  safe  presumption  that  the  controls  were  also  present 
at  such  times. 

Riding  in  the  country,  one  time,  they  unhitched  the 
horse  from  the  buggy  and  tied  him  to  a  fence.  They  soon 
saw  that  he  had  broken  loose.  Now,  what  to  do?  Forty 
men  could  not  catch  or  corral  him.  Here  was  a  chance  to 
walk  home.  The  medium  seemed  unconcerned  and  only 
said,  "Clarence  will  catch  him  as  soon  as  his  help  comes." 

1 '  How  is  that  ? ' '  said  Mr.  Hooker.  ' '  He  has  sent  after 
Dick  LeRongee,   a  sailor  friend  of  his,"  was  her  reply 

In  a  short  time,  they  noticed  the  horse  stop  and  arch 
his  neck,  then  turn  his  head  on  one  side  and  then  on  the 
ether,  as  if  he  was  being  approached  by  two  people,  one  on 
each  side  of  him.  The  medium  then  said :  ' '  There,  papa, 
(Mr.  Hooker)  you  can  go  now  and  put  on  his  bridle.  Dick 
LeRongee  is  holding  him."  The  horse  was  secured  with- 
out any  difficulty. 

Another  instance  occurred  when  the  medium  and  her 
husband  lived  in  Los  Angeles  among  the  hills  on  the  Mon- 
tana tract.  At  that  time  there  were  no  fences  in  that  part 
of  the  city,  nor  from  there  to  the  ocean;  and  all  the  hills 
were  covered  with  green  barley  about  fifteen  to  twenty 
inches  high.  Adjoining  their  cottage  were  two  vacant  lots, 
each  fifty  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  Leotah.  Snow- 
drop, the  Indian  control,  came  and  said  to  Mr.  Drake: 
' '  Why  don 't  3rou  let  the  horse  eat  the  grass  on  those  lots  ? ' ' 
Mi-.  Drake  replied:     "Don't  you  see  there  are  no  fences 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  169 

anywhere,  and  if  he  was  turned  loose  we  would  never  get 
him  backl  A  hundred  men  could  not  catch  such  a  high- 
Spirited  horse  among  these  hills." 

"If  you  will  let  him  out  we  will  keep  him  out  of  the 

barley  and  he  shall  not  leave  the  grass,  and  when  you  want 
him  we  will  hold  him."   ■ 

Mr.  Drake  did  not  have  sufficient  confidence  in  their 
ability  to  control  horses,  and  demurred  to  the  little  con- 
trol's request.  She,  however,  persisted  and  said  that  Val. 
could  hold  him  and  would  keep  him  on  th«»  grass. 

"I  will  try  Val.  once,"  was  his  reply.  He  led  the 
horse  from  the  stable  and  tied  the  halter  about  his  neck. 
Mr.  Drake's  father,  who  was  living  with  them  at  the  time, 
and.  who  had  been  a  silent  listener  to  tin.'  conversation, 
said:  "You  surely  cannot  1"'  such  a  fool  as  to  turn  that 
kind  of  a  horse  loose  on  these  hills?" 

"You  have  guessed  it  the  first  time,"  was  the  reply. 
"I  will  take  them  at  their  word  until  they  fail  me  once,  if 
I  never  see  the  horse  again."  Leading  the  horse  to  the 
center  of  the  grass  plat,  one  hundred  by  one  hundred  and 
fifty  feet,  with  the  hills  all  around  covered  with  a  tempting 
growth  of  barley,  he  left  him  and  walked  back  to  the  cot- 
tage,  where  the  control  still  held  the  medium. 

The  horse  was  so  intent  upon  feeding  upon  the  green 
grass  that  he  did  Dot  realize  he  was  free  for  some  two  or 
three  minutes.  Raising  his  head  and  looking  around  he 
snorted,  arched  his  neck,  started  for  the  hills.  He  came  to 
the  end  of  the  lot  and  stopped  like  a  bucking  pony.  Turn- 
ing, he  went  in  the  opposite  direction  and  stopped  at  the 

other  end  of  the  lot  in  a  like  manner.  Bfl  though  he  had 
conic  up  against  a  solid  wall.  More  than  a  dozen  times 
he  tried  this  in  nil  direction,  until  evidently  satisfied  that 
there  was  a  solid  something  an  impossible  barrier  around 
the  two  lots. 

This    horse    did    not    have    any    use    for   electric    street 

cars,  ami  Mr.  Drake  could  never  drive  him  past  one  of 
them  wM'ii  in  motion.  No  amount  of  coaxing  or  whipping 
(lid  any  good.     He  was  simply   scared,  and  a  frightened 


47(1  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

horse  has  less  sense  than  any  other  animal.  When  Mrs. 
Drake  drove,  or  was  in  the  carriage,  the  horse  went  past 
them  without  any  trouble.  He  didn't  seem  to  see  the  car 
when  Clarence  was  with  them. 

Another  instance,  showing  Val's  ability  in  material 
things.  They  had  driven  out  to  the  foot  hills,  about  eight 
miles  from  the  city  and  unhitched  the  horse,  this  time  a 
bronco,  while  they  gathered  wild  flowers.  This  particular 
bronco  was  Mrs.  Drake's  favorite  driving  horse.  He  knew 
a  "whole  lot"  more  than  some  people.  He  knew  just 
where  the  best  bunches  of  grass  were  along  the  road.  He 
drew  the  line  at  the  whip.  About  the  third  time  he  was 
touched  with  it  he  would  kick.  If  he  got  loose,  it  took  at 
least  half  a  dozen  vaqueros  to  catch  him.  He  knew  just 
how  to  avoid  their  lariats.  There  was  more  meanness  to 
the  inch,  or  the  ounce,  in  him  than  in  any  other  animal  in 
the  state.  It  took  argus  eyes  to  watch  him.  Of  course, 
when  eight  miles  from  home,  and  night  coming  on,  he  got 
loose.  As  Mr.  Drake  saw  him  dash  off  over  the  hills  into 
the  undergrowth  of  bushes,  he  was  disgusted  and  sent  a 
pious  remark  after  him,  and  started  for  a  Chinaman's 
ranch  some  three  miles  away,  to  get  another  horse. 

Mrs.  Drake,  already  among  the  wild  flowers,  singing 
as  happily  as  a  child,  seeing  him  start  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion from  the  one  taken  by  the  horse,  who  was  out  of  sight 
in  less  than  a  minute,  cried  out :  ' '  He  went  the  other  way. 
Why  don 't  you  go  after  him  ? ' ' 

"Go  after  him?  Oh,  yes,  I  know  that  brute.  I've 
tried  catching  him  before.  Life  is  too  short  to  engage  in 
that  business.  If  he  had  only  left  the  harness,  he  could  go 
and  stay." 

Again  she  said:  "Go  and  get  him.  I  saw  Val.  after 
him  as  he  went  into  the  bushes.     He  will  stop  him." 

A  half  mile  from  the  starting  place  that  innocent 
looking  bronco  stood  securely  hitched  to  a  pile  of  brush, 
with  no  human  being  anywhere  near  Irm. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  471 

While  visiting  Mrs.  Merrie  Dalton,  at  their  beautiful 
home  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  an  incident  occurred 
which  showed  Val's  ability  to  turn  a  runaway  horse.  Mr 
Dalton,  his  wife  and  Mrs.  Drake,  started  for  a  ride.  Be- 
fore having  the  house  she  said:  "I  am  told  to  look  out 
for  a  runaway." 

"Our  horse  will  not  run  away,"  replied  Mr.  Dalton. 

They  drove  to  the  city,  where  they  stopped  to  talk 
with  Mr.  George  W.  Knox  and  Mr.  Drake,  who  were  stand- 
ing on  the  walk,  close  to  a  corner.  Mr.  Dalton  occupied 
the  front  seat  alone,  the  two  ladies  on  the  back  seat.  With- 
out any  warning,  whatever,  a  horse,  with  harness  dan- 
gling about  his  heels,  dashed  around  the  corner.  lie  turned 
across  the  corner  of  the  walk  and  headed  directly  for  the 
carriage.  Instantly  seeing  and  comprehending  the  danger 
to  the  two  ladies,  Mr.  Drake  cried  out  to  Mi  Knox : 
"Brace  your  foot  against  mine.  George,  ana  T  will  stop 
him."  There  was  no  time  to  get  the  carriage  out  of  the  way 
and  Mr  Drake  determined  to  check  the  wild  runaway,  so 
that  he  would  not  land  in  the  carriage.  "I  lie  horse,  blinded 
with  fear,  did  not  see  anything,  and  came  on  at  full  speed. 
without  any  bridle  by  which  he  could  be  caught.  JuSG  as 
Mr.  Drake  jumped  forward  to  throw  his  arms  around  the 
horse's  neck,  then  within  four  feet  of  the  carriage,  the 
horse  veered  out  of  his  course;  and,  with  a  jump,  landed 
on  tin  shafts  between  Mr.  Dalton's  horse  and  the  carriage, 
where  he  fell  with  his  feet  off  the  ground  and  lay  wedged 
in  so  close  that  neither  horse  could  move  until  Mr.  Dalton's 
horse  was  unhitched  and  led  away.  The  only  damage  done 
was  a  pair  of  broken  shafts.  As  Mr.  Drake  then  remarked. 
"Some  power  outside  of  that  horse  turned  him  at  least  two 
feet  out  of  his  course.  He  appeared  to  swing  away  from 
me  like  a  vessel  obeying  its  helm.  Instead  of  tin-  solid  im- 
pact T  expected,  the  atmosphere  between  me  and  the  horse 
seemed  to  suddenly  condense  ami  ;is  instantly  lighten  up." 
The  whole  thing  occurred  within  a  few  seconds  and  before 
any  of  those  presenl  could  realize  what  had  happened,  ex- 
cepting Mr.  Drake,  who  heard  the  horse's  hoofs  strike  the 


472  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

walk  and  turned  his  head  just  in  time  to  brace  himself  for 
the  shock — which  he  did  not  receive.  The  expected  sure 
thing  did  not  happen. 

UNACCOUNTABLE    PROPHECY. 

"To  some  shall  be  given  the  gift  of  prophecy,"  but  by 
the  same  spirit.  That  all  spirits  possess,  in  embryo,  the 
same  powers —  the  same  possibilities  and  may  possess  all 
knowledge,  all  truths,  requires  no  special  demonstration  to 
those  who  open  the  avenues  of  manifestation  and  cultivate 
their  spiritual  faculties  or  senses.  In  Scotland,  this  fac- 
ulty is  designated  as  "second  sight."  It  is  the  divination 
and  the  oracles  of  the  ancients  and  is  placed  first  in  spirit- 
ual value  and  importance  by  Saint  Paul,  as  requiring  the 
highest  development  of  spiritual  sense  and  the  most  refined 
and  exalted  spiritual  conditions.  Several  instances  are 
already  recited  where  advanced  spirits  have  shadowed 
upon  Mrs.  Drake  accidents  and  incidents  in  the  lives  of 
people  which  occurred  ten  or  twelve  and  more  years  later, 
together  with  the  attendant  circumstances  in  particular 
detail  just  as  predicted. 

Speaking  from  the  platform,  at  Lake  Pleasant,  Mass., 
in  the  early  part  of  July,  1883,  she  paused  and  said :  " '  I 
see  very  near  at  hand,  an  earthquake  across  the  water  in 
which  hundreds  of  people  lose  their  lives  and  a  whole  town 
is  destroyed."  Before  the  month  closed,  the  Island  of 
Ischia  in  the  Bay  of  Naples — Europe's  fashionable  resort 
— was  visited  by  one  of  the  most  disastrous  seismic  dis- 
turbances of  modem  times,  where,  in  fifteen  seconds,  hun- 
dreds of  people  lost  their  lives  and  nothing  was  left  of  a 
village  of  Casamicciola  but  blackened  mounds  to  mark  the 
sites  of  houses  and  temples.  The  entire  topography  was 
changed  and  scarce  a  trace  of  the  village  was  left. 

A  month  later,  while  speaking  at  Onset  Bay,  the  same 
wise  intelligence  reflected  upon  her  the  picture  of  the 
greatest  of  all  known  disturbances,  unless  it  be  the  Mount 
Pelee  eruption  twenty  years  later.  She  went  on  to  describe 
a  mountain  five  or  six  thousand  feet  high,  surmounted  by 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  473 

a  pillar  of  flame,  throwing  out  glowing  hoi  boulders,  while 
the  sides  of  the  mountain  opened  and  great  chasms  were 
made  in  the  valleys  below;  this  followed  by  a  tidal  wave 
sweeping  thousands  of  people  to  a  watery  grave.  She  saw 
a  mountain  on  another  island  sink  into  the  sea  as  a  result  of 
this  terrible  eruption.  The  predict  ion  caused  considerable 
excitement  at  the  time  among  those  who  heard  her  make  a 
similar  prediction  at  Lake  Pleasant  which  at  this  time  had 
been  verified. 

On  the  26th  day  of  August— about  two  weeks  later— 
the  Island  of  Krakaton,  the  most  populous  island  of  Java, 
on  which  were  no  less  than  forty-five  craters,  was  visited 
by  an  eruption  such  as  the  world  had  never  known. 
Chunung  Guntur,  over  f>,000  feet  high,  sent  up  a  lurid 
coin  11  m  of  flame  and  glowing  hot  boulders.  Lava  poured 
from  the  rents  in  the  sides  of  the  mountains;  rocks,  ashes 
and  pumice,  covered  the  fields ;  flame  wiped  out  the  crops, 
and  all  signs  of  human  habitation  disappeared.  Great 
chasms  opened  up  in  the  valleys  below  and  the  entire 
island  disappeared.  Kramatan,  a  high  peak,  the  southern 
promontory  of  Sumatra,  sank  into  the  sea,  and  a  great 
tidal  wave  swept  the  island  coasts  washing  away  the 
greater  number  of  the  25.000  Chinamen,  principally  en- 
gaged  in  the  fishing  industries.  Thus  was  verified  two 
of  the  most  remarkable  prophecies  ever  made.  To  say 
that  these  are  coincidents,  or  Lzness  work,  is  to  acknowledge 
our  own  ignorance  and  want  of  intelligence. 

These  earthquakes  greatly  interested  the  scientists  of 

the  world.  .Among  whom  was  Professor  William  Denton, 
the  geologist,  who,  in  his  investigations  of  those  eruptions, 
received  injuries  which  resulted  in  his  death.  He  was  at 
that  time  applying  the  science  of  psychometry  to  geologi- 
cal specimens,  to  determine  the  age  and  conditions  under 
which  they  \\t-n'  formed,  and  the  events  associated  with 
them,  as  well  as  the  formations  in  which  they  were  found. 
It    was  he  who  said:     "from  the  dawn  of  lighl    QDOD   this 

infant  globe  there  is  not  ;i  vibration  hut  thai  has  been 
faithfnllv  inscribed  ami  recorded." 


474  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Equally  marvelous  were  her  predictions  concerning 
the  Johnstown  disaster,  May  31st,  1889,  and  the  Seattle 
fire,  June  6th  of  the  same  year.  Living  in  Los  Angeles, 
far  removed  from  both  places,  these  events  were  fore- 
shadowed upon  her  and  told  to  many  people  before  they 
occurred.  In  the  case  of  the  Johnstown  flood,  she  de- 
scribed it  at  the  time  it  happened.  She  saw  and  described 
the  wall  of  water  rolling  down  the  valley  with  more  than 
the  speed  of  the  fastest  railroad  train.  She  saw  it  strike 
a  railroad  bridge  below  the  town  and  back  up,  washing  the 
houses,  immense  blocks  of  building  and  the  people  away  in 
one  indistinguishable  mass.  The  next  morning  the  papers 
gave  the  particulars  of  the  disaster.  Lake  Conemaugh,  a 
body  of  water,  two  and  one-half  miles  long,  by  one  and  one- 
half  miles  wide,  situated  275  feet  above  the  city,  broke  away 
and  a  great  wall  of  water  swept  downward  a  distance  of 
eighteen  miles  in  less  than  as  many  minutes.  Two  thou- 
sand one  hundred  and  forty -two  people  were  drowned. 
Of  these  ninety-nine  entire  families  were  lost. 

Three  or  four  days  later,  while  discussing  this  disas- 
ter and  her  prophecy  in  the  presence  of  a  pronounced 
skeptic,  she  said:  "You  are  a  materialist  and  do  not 
believe  these  things  can  be  foretold."  He  replied  that 
he  did  not. 

"Well,  then,  sir,  make  a  memorandum  right  now,  that 
a  large  city  on  this  coast  will  be  swept  by  fire  within  a 
week   and  millions  of  property  will   be   destroyed." 

He,  being  a  physician  and  a  materialist,  smiled  in- 
credulously, but  made  a  memorandum  and  said:  "If  any 
such  a  thing  happens  I  will  take  off  my  hat  when  I  pass 
this  house." 

Two  days  later,  on  June  6,  1889,  the  great  fire  at 
Seattle,  Washington,  destroyed  $15,000,000  worth  of  prop- 
erty. The  next  day  the  young  man  came  with  his  hat  off. 
One  fact  had  found  lodgment  at  least,  in  a  skeptical  brain. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  475 

PREDICTS  A  TIDAL  WAVE  AT  GALVESTON,  TEXAS. 

From  the  city  of  Austin,  in  March,  1894,  Mrs.  Drake 
visited  Galveston,  situated  on  the  island  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico.  The  very  full  and  complete  reports  in  the  lead- 
ing daily  papers  of  the  state  of  her  work  in  North  Texas 
and  in  the  capital,  that  stronghold  of  religious  intolerance, 
had  prepared  the  way  for  her  work  in  that  city  of  beauti- 
ful flower-decorated  homes.  The  Galveston  and  Dallas 
Nt  ws,  the  greatest  papers  in  the  state,  had  published 
lengthy  accounts  of  her  seances  and  public  lectures,  until 
all  classes  were  ready  to  greet  her  and  to  take  her  at  her 
word,  especially  in  the  line  of  prophecy. 

The  United  States  Government  had,  at  that  time, 
undertaken  to  secure  deep  water  at  Galveston  for  ocean- 
going vessels.  The  work  was  planned  and  superintended 
by  Lieutenant  Mansfield.  Everybody  was  deeply  inter- 
ested and  wanted  to  know  if  it  would  be  a  success.  Rather 
a  strange  subject  on  which  to  seek  advice  and  information 
from  the  spirit  side  of  life.  She.  however,  told  them  it 
would  be  a  success. 

Another  and  different  picture  was  clairvoyantly  pre- 
sented to  her  view.  She  said:  "I  see  disaster  to  come 
to  your  fail-  city  in  which  thousands  will  lose  their  lives. 
T  see  the  city  overswept   with  water  from  the  hay." 

She  was  fold  that  what  she  saw  had  already  occurred. 
Borne   twenty   years   past,    when    a    tidal    wave   swept   the 

Texas  const. 

"No,"  she  instantly  replied,  "what  I  now  see  has  not 
occurred.  I  am  told  that  it  will  not  be  for  six  or  eight 
years.  It  may  seem  strange  to  you.  but  this  water  that 
sweeps  buildings  and  people  out  to  sea  does  not  come  in 
from  the  ocean,  but  seems  to  roll  over  the  island  toward 
the  sea." 

"Will  a  tidal  wave  first  bring  the  water  in  from  the 

gulf?"  was  asked. 

"No,"  she  replied,,  "it  seems  to  be  ,n  tornado,  coming 
from  the  southeast  until  the  waters  of  the  bay  are  crowded 


470  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

to  the  main  land,  when  the  wind  suddenly  changes  and 
comes  from  the  south  and  forces  the  water  from  the  gulf 
into  the  bay,  until  the  whole  island  is  submerged. 

"I  see  your  people  panic-stricken,  seeking  safety  in 
your  strongest  buildings,  as  the  wind  changes  and  the 
water  rolls  and  surges  and  beats  back  and  forth  through 
your  city,  windrowing  people,  whole  families,  buildings 
and  wreckage  into  promiscuous  confusion — the  wind  ceases 
—the  accumulated  water  sweep  over  a  wrecked  city,  carry- 
ing thousands  of  people  and  the  wreck  of  homes  and  busi- 
ness blocks  out  to  the  gulf.*" 

She  then  said :  ' '  The  mirage  changes,  I  see  the  people 
forgetting  this  terrible  cataclysm  and  rebuilding  the  city 
jnore  substantially  than  before  and  attempting  to  protect  it 
from   such   disasters   in   the   future." 

So  unreal  and  terrible  was  the  vision;  so  improbable 
that  the  water  would  sweep  from  the  bay  out  to  sea,  that 
no  heed  was  given  to  the  warning.  They  reasoned  that 
nothing  but  a  tidal  wave  could  bring  such  terrible  disaster, 
in  the  way  she  described;  and  she  had  said  it  would  not 


*NOTE: — September  8th,  1900,  at  noon  the  wind  commenced 
to  blow  from  the  Bay  side  (Bast)  of  the  island.  It  increased  in 
force  until  it  registered  eighty  miles  an  hour.  At  seven  o'clock 
in  the  evening  it  changed  and  blew  from  the  south  until  10:30 
p  m.  This  wind  from  the  south  forced  the  water  from  the 
Gulf  into  the  Bay  until  it  had  risen  twenty-five  feet,  and  cov- 
ered-the  highest  points  on  the  island  with  over  six  feet  of  water. 

The  rain  fell  in  torrents;  and,  in  the  blackness  of  the  night, 
with  destruction  all  about  them,  those  who  could  do  so,  sought 
safety  in  the  largest  and  strongest  buildings.  Early  the  next 
morning  the  wind  subsided  and  the  water  that  had  accumulated 
in  the  Bay  carried  wrecked  buildings  and  drowned  people  out 
to  sea.  Careful  estimates  placed  the  number  lost  at  eight  thou- 
sand. Many  bodies  found  on  the  island  were  burned,  while 
many  others  were  taken  out  to  sea  and  buried;  one  barge  car- 
ried over  700  at  one  load.  The  sea  returned  many  of  these 
bodies  to  the  shore  and  they  were  again  taken  farther  out  and 
again  consigned  to  the  waters  of  the  Gulf. 

A  vessel  came  into  port  the  next  day  and  reported  seeing 
bodies  and  wreckage  one  hundred  miles  from  land.  When  the 
wind  changed,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  all  the  bridges 
leading  to  the  city  were  carried  away.  The  island  is  four  miles 
from  the  main  land  and  six  miles  from  Bolivar  Point.  The  area 
covered   by  the  storm   was   about  twenty-five   miles   seaward. 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AM)     LIFE.  177 

he  ,-i  tidal  wave    They  dreamed  or  in  perfecl  security  until 

the  fatal  night,  six  years  Later,  September  8,  1900,  when 
the  prophecy  was  verified,  and  was  more  terrible  and 
destructive  than  sin-  had  described  it. 

A    si. (ONI)    WARNING. 

This  panoramic  vision  was  again  shadowed  upon  her 
in  the  month  of  May,  1900,  about  four  months  before  it 
occurred.  She  and  her  husband  were  in  the  office  of  Mr. 
George  J.  Kinsky  .in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  company  with  Mr. 
Bell,  a  gentleman  who  contemplated  going  to  Galveston  to 
engage  in  business.  She  suddenly  arose  from  her  chair 
and  commenced  to  walk  excitedly  across  the  office.  Baying: 
"Don't  go,  Mr.  Bell,  Galveston  is  going  to  be  washed  by 
the  sea.  I  see  the  water  from  the  bay  sweep  over  the  city 
towards  the  gulf.  Oh,  it's  terrible!  People  and  build- 
in  «rs  are  washed  away.  Whole  families  go  together.  Don't 
go  there  now.     Thousands  will  be  swept  out  to  sea." 

"That  will  not  happen  in  your  time  or  mine,"  was 
remarked  by  one  of  the  gentlemen. 

"Yes,  it  will.  I  can  count  the  months  on  the  fingers 
of  (me  hand,"  was  her  instant  reply. 

In  less  than  four  months  the  waters  of  the  gulf  rolled 
over  that  fated  city,  leaving  death  and  destruction  in 
their  wake. 

This  age  that  boasts  of  its  intelligence  may  well  take 
herd  <>\'  the  example  of  the  Creeks,  who.  from  the  earliest 
ttccounl  of  the  temple  of  Delphi  to  the  Alexandrean  A.ge, 
listened  to  their  Pythias  and  Eypatias  and  regulated  their 
lives  and  state  affairs  by  the  advice  given  them.  The 
aames  of  these  ancient  poets,  statesmen  and  philosophers, 
who  thus  Boughl  the  spirit  for  guidance,  stand  Eor  Intelli- 
gence as  great  as  those  of  the  present  day  who  heed  no 
warnings  from  the  spirit  side  of  life. 

These  marvelous  predictions  are  not  confined  to  cata- 
clysms and  seismic  disturbances.  Some  spirit  Bcientisfl  deal- 
ing with  other  subjects  very  Frequently  reflect  upon  the 
medium   the   results  of   their   conclusions.      While   in    Chi- 


478  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

cago,  an  officer,  occupying  a  high  position  in  the  Govern- 
ment service,  came  to  her  for  information.  He  was  told 
of  two  storms  to  occur  so  far  in  the  future  as  to  be  beyond 
all  the  weather  bureau's  science.  This  officer  noted  the 
predictions  which  were  verified  at  the  specified  time.  Be- 
ing used  to  scientific  calculations  and  logical  deductions, 
he  was  not  averse  to  learning,  even  if  the  information  and 
instruction  came  from  sources  tabooed  by  science. 

Following  the  instructions  given  him,  to  put  his  brain 
"in  tune  with  the  infinite"  so  that  this  superior  science 
and  wisdom  could  find  expression,  he  was  soon  promoted  to 
a  higher  position  in  his  chosen  field  of  labor,  as  the  controls 
told  him  he  should  be.  Truly  those  who  open  avenues  for 
the  spirit,  other  than  their  five  senses,  are  more  efficient 
in  the  battle  of  life  than  those  who  are  limited  to  less  ave- 
nues than  are  possessed  by  the  animal  creation,  for  animals 
all  have  intuition,  a  sixth  sense,  so  designated  by  that  body 
of  French  scientists  who  believe  they  have  discovered 
something. 

While  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  April,  1902,  in  company 
with  several  students  quite  well  advanced  in  occult  science 
and  in  psychic  phenomena,  a  spirit  came  whom  Mrs. 
Drake's  other  controls  called  a  scientist.  He  seemed  con- 
siderably hurried  and  excited.  He  said;  "A  terrible  calam- 
ity is  about  to  occur  that  will  sweep  thousands  into  spirit 
life.  It  is  terrible  and  so  sudden.  It  may  be  avoided.  I  must 
go."  He  left,  and  in  a  short  time  after  came  the  news  of 
the  eruption  of  Mount  Pelee  with  its  terrible  and  instan- 
taneous destruction  of  human  life.  Mrs.  Drake  at  the  same 
time  said  she  could  see  thousands  of  spirits  rushing  hither 
and  thither  with  their  arms  full  of  spirit  robes.  Some 
of  the  gentlemen,  now  living  in  St.  Louis,  will  remember 
this  meeting  at  4544  Cooke  Avenue,  on  account  of  other 
predictions  made  at  the  same  time.  The  Mount  Pelee  dis- 
aster occurred  soon  after  this  scientist  left  the  party. 

Another  singular  thing  occurred  at  that  meeting.  The 
owner  of  the  home,  where  the  meeting  was  held,  was  a 
princely  host  and  a  royal  entertainer     in     every     way. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  479 

He  and  his  beautiful  wife,  who  always  seconded  all  of  his 
efforts,  served  a  lunch  after  these  meetings.     Seated  at 

the  table,  all  very  distinctly  sensed  the  odor  of  beefsteak 
being  cooked.  A  little  surprised,  one  of  the  party  re- 
marked: "That  is  unusually  rich  beefsteak."  All  very 
plainly  noticed  this  odor.  There  was  no  mistaking  it.  for 
it  filled  the  room.  There  was  no  beefsteak  in  the  house 
and  certainly  none  being:  cooked  in  the  house  or  the  vicinity 
at  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  Another  very  excellent  medium, 
Mrs.  Cross,  who  was  present,  was  controlled  by  a  bright 
Indian  maiden  named  "Xonah."  who  said:  "Clarence 
says  he  crave  you  a  little  smell  of  beefsteak  to  show  you 
that  you  shall  all  have  plenty  and  all  your  physical  wants 
will  be  amply  supplied."  Such  evidence  of  the  spirit's 
chemical  ability  to  make  this  odor  so  distinctly,  unmis- 
takably and  simultaneously  appreciable  to  the  physical 
senses  of  five  or  six  people  was  surprising.  This  odor 
could  not  be  evolved  from  any  subconscious  mind,  or  ac- 
counted for  by  any  stray  vibration  recorded  in  any  uni- 
versal ether  or  astral  light.  It  was  produced  then  and 
there. 

This  scientist  came  and  predicted  the  subsequent  erup- 
tions of  Mount  Pelee  and  Santa  Maria,  and  said  these  vol- 
canic disturbances  would  be  repeated  many  months  later. 

There  arc  those  who  take  cognizance  of  political  re- 
sults and  have  the  ability  to  name  the  candidates  and  those 
who  will  succeed.  During  the  campaign  which  resulted  in 
Cleveland's  first  election,  while  holding  a  seance  in  the 
city  of  New  York,  a  spirit,  in  response  to  a  question  by  Mr. 
Parsons,  one  of  the  editors  of  the  Tribune,  said:  "Crover 
Cleveland  will  be  eleeted."  Mr.  Parsons  replied:  "Oh. 
yon  are  an  old  Democrat  Yon  must  be  John  Morrissy." 
"Nevertheless,"  the  Bpiril  replied,  ■■Cleveland  will  he 
nominated  and  elected." 

Addressing  ;i  public  audience  in  Marblehead,  M 
chusetts,  soon  after,  some  one  in  the  audience  asked  who 
would    l>e    elected.     She    replied,    "Grover    Cleveland." 
Those  having  faith  in  her  prediction  at  once  "hedged"  on 


480  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

their  bets,  and  later  told  her  she  had  saved  them  much 
money. 

Just  previous  to  Harrison's  nomination,  Mrs.  Drake 
was  spending  a  few  weeks  at  Sister  Lakes,  a  fishing  re- 
sort in  Michigan.  Her  husband  remarked,  one  night,  that 
he  guessed  he  would  go  to  Chicago  to  see  who  would  be 
nominated.  She  said:  "I  see  a  man,  not  very  tall,  well 
built,  with  full  whiskers,"  and  then  described  his  dress. 
"That  is  a  pretty  fair  description  of  Blaine,  and  I  guess 
you  are  right."  "No,"  she  replied,  "I  see  the  name  of 
Ben  Harrison  written  on  his  hat-band." 

"Ben  Harrison!  It  must  be  written  on  his  grand- 
father's hat.  He  doesn't  stand  any  more  show  to  beat 
Blaine  for  the  nomination  than  I  do,"  was  his  reply. 

"I  hear  a  voice  say  that  he  will  not  only  be  nominated 
but  he  will  be  elected. ' ' 

No  one  at  that  time  believed  it  possible  for  Blaine  to 
be  beaten  for  the  nomination,  and  no  one  believed  Cleve- 
land could  be  beaten  at  that  election.  She  predicted  the 
second  election  of  Cleveland,  and  the  first  and  second  elec- 
tions of  McKinley.  She  was  called  upon  to  speak  at  a 
Bryan  meeting  in  Angels  Camp,  California,  where  she 
said :  "I  am  afraid  you  will  be  sorry  you  called  upon  me, 
for  I  cannot  see  success  for  your  candidate." 

While  visiting  Mrs.  Judge  Budd,  in  Stockton,  Cali- 
fornia, Mrs.  Budd  asked  the  controls  if  they  could  move 
a  heavy  dining  table.  Mrs.  Drake  placed  one  hand  on  the 
table  and  it  moved  up  to  the  Judge  and  all  about  the  room, 
at  the  suggestion  of  those  present.  Questions  were  asked 
and  answered  by  raps.  Among  other  messages  they  were 
told  that  their  son,  James  Budd.  would  be  nominated  and 
elected  Governor  of  the  state. 

In  questioning  the  controls  as  to  how  these  operations 
in  the  material  world  are  calculated,  and,  if  calculated, 
can  be  located  as  to  time  and  place,  the  reply  was  that  the 
"unknown" — the  highest  personal  intelligence  of  which 
they  have  knowledge— foreshadowed  them  directly  upon 
her.     It  is  he  who  tells  her  of  earthquakes,  volcanic  erup- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  481 

tions,  disasters  on  sea  and  land,  and  impending  cata- 
clysms. It  was  this  "unknown"  who  foreshadowed  upon 
her  the  Johnstown  disaster  and  the  great  Seattle  fire. 

Mrs.  S.  M.  Kingsley,  1502%  Park  Street,  Alameda, 
California,  who  was  present  when  these  predictions  were 
made,  wrote  from  Los  Angeles  to  the  editor  of  the  Go\<h  n 
(int i .  as  follows : 

"It  has  been  my  pleasant  privilege  to  tarry  for  a 
season  in  the  beautiful  home  of  an  old-time  friend,  Mrs. 
Maud  Lord-Drake,  delightfully  situated  in  an  immense 
orange  grove,  some  three  miles  from  the  city,  where  she 
is  enjoying  ;i  respite  from  long-continued  public*  labors, 
in  quiet  companionship  with  a  sweet,  lovely,  and  accom- 
plished daughter  and  devoted  husband.  Mrs.  Drake  has 
lost  none  of  the  remarkable  psychic  powers  that  have  made 
her  name  familiar  in  all  the  towns  and  cities  of  the  United 
States. 

The  recent  terrible  calamity  at  Johnstown  was  clearly 
predicted  by  her  the  day  before  its  occurrence.  The  disas- 
trous fire  at  Seattle  was  also  foretold  two  days  in  ad- 
vance of  its  coming;  and  a  young  man,  Dr.  Dorsey,  living 
nearby  was  so  impressed  with  the  prophecy  that  he  made 
an  item  of  it  in  his  note  book." 

These  facts  show  that  there  are  intelligences  who,  by 
laws  or  conditions  known  and  understood  by  them  or 
others,  can  foretell  these  events.  The  telling,  and  Later, 
the  verification  of  incidents  in  human  lives  and  in  nature 
certainly  establishes  the  fact  of  individualized,  personal 
intelligence    outside    of    physical    bodies— an  intelligence 

itially  human,  with  human  ideas,  feelings  and  actions. 
In  fact,  all  the  phenomena,  whether  mental  or  physical. 
are  human.  The  hands,  forms  and  faces,  tangible  or  visi- 
ble, are  human.  They  are  not  the  faces  of  evil,  but  are 
those  of  our  friends  and  acquaintances.  Their  speech  is 
the  language  of  the  heart  — in  logic,  Bense,  and  sound,  it  is 
hum;. ii.  When  they  appear  on  the  Bensitized  plate  in  the 
camera  in  different  dress  and  attitude  from  any  picture 
taken  in  physical  life,  and  are  recognized,  which  fact  no  in- 

16- 


482  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

telligent  person  can  dispute— appearing  there  in  conform- 
ity with  known,  natural  laws — there  is  only  one  fair,  log- 
ical deduction  to  be  made— only  one  theory  that  will  cover 
all  these  facts.  There  are  no  hypothetical  facts  attempted 
in  these  recitals.  They  are,  each  and  all,  actual  facts, 
actual  occurrences,  told  in  the  simplest  language  possible. 

To  the  churchman  we  will  say  no  devils'  faces  have 
ever  appeared;  no  spirit  has  ever  counseled  anything 
except  the  highest  morality — the  Golden  Rule — the  greatest 
unselfishness  and  good  will  to  all. 

The  materialist  can  consider  these  facts  and  wander 
in  the  mazy  labyrinths  of  intellectualism  for  a  theory  that 
will  cover  all  of  them. 

The  agnostic— who  doesn't  know,  and  doesn't  want  to 
know,  who  doesn't  think,  who  can't  think  or  won't  think, 
can  keep  right  on  to  the  end.  He,  like  all  the  others,  is 
amenable  to  THE  LAW  of  spirit.  This  law  will  find 
him  out. 

It  is  passing  strange  that  all  the  great  men  and  women 
whose  names  are  written  high  on  the  rolls  of  science,  art, 
literature  and  statesmanship  are  not  capable  of  correct 
deductions  from  the  great  mass  of  facts  presented.  Very 
strange  that  they  are  all  deceived  and  you  are  not.  It.  is 
strange — very  strange. 

There  has  been  no  attempt  to  classify  the  facts  or  the 
phenomena  herein  related.  They  are  given  more  in  the 
chronological  order  in  which  they  occurred  in  the  medium's 
life.  They  can  be  divided  into  physical  and  mental,  both 
employing  individual,  personal  intelligence  in  their  pro- 
duction in  so  far  as  they  show  purpose  and  design  outside 
of  the  medium  and  spectators ;  and,  in  nearly  every  in- 
stance, it  has  been  the  unexpected  that  has  occurred,  show- 
ing no  collusion  or  fore-knowledge  on  the  part  of  the 
medium  or  spectators. 

PHYSICAL  PHENOMENA. 

The  physical  phenomena  cover  a  wide  range  of  results 
appreciable    to    one    or    more    of    the    physical   senses; 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  483 

such  as  sounds  of  various  kinds  from  the  slightest  rap  to 
heavy  Mows;  the  moving  of  heavy  articles  without  human 
contact;  the  alteration  of  weights  of  bodies  with  the  scales 
in  the  hands  of  careful  experts;  the  more  surprising  fact 
of  conveying  articles  to  a  distance— sometimes  hundreds  of 
miles— in  such  short  space  of  time  as  to  absolutely  defy 
duplication  by  any  human  or  physical  means,  and  some- 
times conveying  living  persons  considerable  distances;  the 
tying  of  knots  in  an  endless  rope  or  when  both  ends  of  the 
rope  were  held  by  some  person;  the  bringing  of  rings  or 
other  articles  from  sealed  caskets ;  the  passage  of  matter 
through  matter  without  disrupting  the  matter  through 
which  it  is  passed. 

There  is  still  another  class  of  phenomena  combining 
the  mental  and  physical,  such  as  writing  and  speak. ng 
in  various  languages,  which  the  medium  does  not  under- 
stand, conveying  information  of  great  value  to  the  recip- 
ient, and  which  was  known  only  to  the  spirit  purporting 
to  communicate  the  same;  the  sketching  of  faces  in  pencil 
and  colors,  when  no  pencil  or  paints  are  present— faces  that 
are  recognized ;  writing  between  closed  slates,  and  on  paper 
placed  beyond  the  reach  of  any  mortal  present;  the  cor- 
rect playing  of  musical  instruments  in  locked  cases  and 
beyond  the  reach  of  any  person  present,  and  of  instru- 
ments played  while  in  motion  about  the  room;  the  still  nnre 
puzzling  production  of  lights,  more  fully  described  else- 
where in  this  work — of  which  modern  chemistry,  as  yet, 
h;is  no  knowledge  whatever :  the  photographing  of  forms 
and  faces,  which  require  individuality  and  reality  to  be  re- 
corded by  the  camera. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


MATERIALIZATION. 


The  most  difficult  phenomenon  to  produce,  and  the 
hardest  to  accept,  even  by  spiritualists  themselves,  is  ma- 
terialization. First  come  hands  and  faces,  and  then  the 
full  forms.  Of  this  there  is  the  most  convincing  proofs.  In 
addition  to  the  facts  herein  related,  some  of  our  ablest 
scientists— Sir  William  Crooks,  Alfred  Russell  Wallace, 
Zollner,  of  the  University  of  Leipsic,  and  others  who,  in 
their  own  laboratories,  photographed,  weighed  and  meas- 
ured forms,  have  become  convinced  of  the  real  existence, 
for  the  time,  of  these  spiritual  forms. 

The  force  necessary  to  focalize,  polarize  and  hold  the 
subtile  atoms  upon  the  spirit  form  is  principally  and  pri- 
marily drawn  from  the  medium,  as  is  also  the  nervous 
force  necessary  in  handling  atoms  and  corpuscles.  The 
air  of  the  seance  rooms  is  filled  by  exosmosis  action  with 
the  higher  and  vitalized  forms  of  this  fluid  or  aura  from 
those  present.  This  aura  varies  in  density,  power  of  molec- 
ular attraction  and  quality  according  to  the  mental, 
spiritual  and  physical  quality  of  those  present.  While 
we  have  no  instruments  sufficiently  delicate,  and  know 
of  no  analysis  by  which  to  measure  these  atoms,  we  can 
judge  of  their  quality— even  of  the  substance  of  thought 
—  by  results  produced  by  the  spirit  chemist,  to  whom 
they  are  palpable,  and  who  controls  and  sets  them 
in  motion,  in  producing  this  materialization  and  other 
physical  manifestations.  The  claim  made  by  some  that 
the  more  carbonic  acid  gas,  which  is  thrown  off  from 
the  lungs  by  this  exosmose  process,  there  is  in  the  room  the 
better  the  manifestations,  does  not  seem  to  be  true  in  Mrs. 
Drake's  seances.     The  purer  the  air,  the  better  the  mani- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  485 

festations.  This  fact,  together  with  the  very  many  physi- 
cal manifestations  occurring  with  her  in  the  light,  and  the 

transporting  of  articles  to  great  distances,  and  the  further 
fact  that  there  are  times  when  the  phenomena  cannot  be 
produced  without  an  unusual  and  disastrous  draught  upon 
the  medium's  vitality,  shows  the  use  of  other  and  different 
atoms  and  the  employment  of  the  luminous,  vital  particles 
generated  and  thrown  off  by  the  cerebellum,  as  well  as  the 
organic  brain.  Hence  the  importance  to  the  investigator 
of  bringing  to  the  ser.nce  room  the  proper  elements,  not 
only  physical,  but  mental  and  spiritual,  and  the  exclusion 
of  all  inharmonious  and  inciting  physical  and  mental  vibra- 
tions. 

In  the  enumeration  of  the  mental  phenomena,  we  find 
phophecy  or  divination  is  the  most  interesting  and  incom- 
prehensible, as  it  is  the  highest  in  intellectual  possibilities; 
then  the  seeing  and  hearing  of  spirits  in  which  distance  is 
not  taken  into  account;  the  seeing  and  hearing  of  the  liv- 
ing and  so-called  dead;  the  trance-speaking,  with  the  ability 
to  answer  questions,  solve  problems  and  give  information 
which  transcends  all  known  science  and  all  knowledge  of 
medium  and  listener,  and  given  in  all  languages:  the  power 
of  impersonation  and  transfiguration,  as  most  completely 
demonstrated  in  Judge  Edmund's  experience  and  in  the 
experience  of  nearly  all  mediums;  the  healing  power,  which 
may  he  closely  allied  to  the  physical  phenomena,  and 
finally  the  identity  of  spirit,  which  must  he  purely  a  men- 
tal .'iteration.     The  phenomena,  taken  as  ;i   whole,  come 

within,  and  are  referable  tu  the  natural  laws  of  physics, 
mentality  and  spirit.  No  matter  who  may  be  the  medium, 
or  what  the  sex.  race  or  condition,  there  is  uniformity. 
although  the  phenomena  are  unlimited  in  detail.  No  two 
facts  are  ever  exactly  alike.  The  conclusion  is  that  it  is 
all  natural  ami  safely  within  the  domain  of  scientific  in- 
vestigation and  altogether  right  and  beneficial. 


PSYCHIC     LIGHT 


ODD  MANIFESTATIONS. 


Walking  past  a  wholesale  house  in  Chicago,  Mrs. 
Lord  was  suddenly  raised,  or  made  to  jump  not  less  than 
three  feet  straight  up  in  the  air,  when  rolling  down  an  in- 
cline came  a  heavy  barrel,  which  would  have  crushed  her 
but  for  the  timely  interposition  of  some  great  power. 
Whether  it  was  the  Indian  control  who  caused  her  to  jump, 
or  jumped  for  her,  or  was  a  case  of  levitation,  she  could 
not  say.  The  feat,  however,  was  the  cause  of  great  admira- 
tion by  the  workmen  from  whom  the  barrel  escaped. 

When  visiting  the  home  of  M.  C.  Orton,  in  Geneva, 
Illinois,  a  curtain  was  put  up  between  two  rooms  and  the 
two  ends  of  a  rope  were  held  on  the  outside  of  this  curtain 
by  Mr.  Orton.  Knots  were  tied  in  the  rope,  to  the  sur- 
prise of  all  present.  These  knots  could  not  be  duplicated 
by  anyone  unless  one  end  of  the  rope  was  free. 

Again,  articles  were  passed  through  the  curtains  at 
points  where  there  were  no  openings  in  the  curtains. 

Seated  in  her  room  in  San  Francisco,  talking  about 
Alaska  and  its  gold  deposits,  a  small  piece  of  gold  was 
dropped  into  Mrs.  Drake's  lap,  coming  from  somewhere 
out  of  the  atmosphere.  Her  husband  had  it  made  into  a 
scarf  pin. 

At  another  time  a  small  piece  of  uncut  amber  was 
dropped  into  her  lap  in  the  same  mysterious  way.  This 
amber  contained  a  beetle  of  some  extinct  species  and  was  a 
specimen  of  great  value. 

Mrs.  Drake,  by  accident,  sent  a  pair  of  valuable  sleeve 
buttons  to  a  laundry  in  St.  Louis,  and  was  unable  to  get 
them  back.  The  proprietor  of  the  laundry  discharged  the 
marker  but  she  retained  the  buttons.  In  about  two  weeks 
the  buttons  were  mysteriously  placed  in  the  window  of 
their  room  in  the  second  story  of  the  building,  a  place  un- 
accessible  to  any  human  being. 

While  in  Denver,  among  other  things,  a  ministerial 
railroad  permit  was  taken  from  Mrs.  Drake's  room.  At 
considerable  trouble  and  some  expense  a  duplicate  permit 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  487 

was  obtained  from  St.  Louis  and  she  went  on  to  California. 
Some  three  months  later,  while  in  the  mountains  of  Cali- 
fornia, the  door  to  their  sleeping  room  was  left  open; 
and.  in  the  morning  there  lay  the  stolen  permit  just  with- 
in the  door.  To  her  control,  Val.,  who  is  skilled  in  the  use 
of  the  Arcane  forces,  essential  to  this  class  of  phenomena, 
is  given  the  credit  for  all  these  valuable  services. 

AY  here  conditions  are  proper  the  moving  of  articles 
often  occurred  in  the  light— plainly  seen  by  those  present. 
At  the  home  of  Charles  AY.  Tryon  in  Angela  Camp,  Cali- 
fornia, the  strings  of  a  guitar  were  seen  to  vibrate  and  the 
music  was  heard  in  consonance  with  Airs.  Tryon 's  perform- 
ing on  the  organ.  She  was  seated  at  one  side  of  their 
large  parlor  playing,  while  the  guitar  stood  in  a  corner  of 
the  room  some  distance  from  the  organ.  No  one  of  the 
party  was  within  ten  feet  of  the  guitar.  It  was  then  placed 
under  a  lounge  at  the  other  side  of  the  room,  one-half  ex- 
posed, and  the  playing  continued  for  some  time.  It  was 
pulled  entirely  under  the  lounge  and  at  other  times  shoved 
entirely  out  in  full  sight.  A  further  evidence  of  intelli- 
gence on  the  part  of  the  performer  was  given  when  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  take  hold  of  the  instrument.  It  was 
suddenly  moved  out  of  reach  and  returned  to  place  as  soon 
as  the  party  attempting  to  take  it  desisted  and  was  out  of . 
reach.  Here  was  observation,  knowledge  of  intent  and  pur- 
pose unmistakably  shown  on  the  part  of  the  invisible 
performer. 

Driving  with  her  husband  in  the  suburbs  of  Los 
Angeles,  the  spirit  of  Airs.  Georgie  II.  Bowman  of  Oak- 
land. California,  came  to  Airs.  Drake;  and,  after  greet- 
ing  her  pleasantly,  said,  in  reply  to  Mrs.  Drake's  sur- 
prise that  she  was  in  spirit  life:  "Oh.  yes.  I  am  as  you 
see,  in  spirit  life.  I  have  been  here  only  a  short  time. 
My  body  is  now  at  the  crematory  in  this  city."  Being 
well  acquainted  with  the  family,  they  drove  immediately 
to  the  crematory  and  arrived  in  time  to  witness  the  cre- 
mation. 

Airs.  Drake    wrote  to    her  brother,  who    resided    .it 


488  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Bowie,  Arizonia,  on  December  15th,  1887,  telling  him  to 
change  his  course  of  life  and  his  associates  or  the  result 
would  be  a  violent  death.  She  told  him  it  would  be  a 
bullet  or  a  knife  and  urged  him  to  leave  the  place.  The 
following  January  4th  his  spirit  came  to  her  and  said  he 
had  been  shot  and  instantly  killed.  None  of  the  family 
knew  anything  about  his  death  until  Mrs.  Drake  wrote 
them  what  he  had  told  her.  A  member  of  the  family 
wrote  at  once  to  Bowie  and  received  the  reply  that  he 
had  been  shot  on  the  day  preceding  the  day  he  came  and 
reported  his  death. 

In  discussing  the  truth  of  spirit  return  in  a  public 
audience  in  Boston  with  the  Rev.  Miles  Grant,  the  Sev- 
enth Day  Adventist,  who  claimed  that  there  never  was 
such  a  thing  as  spirit  return,  Mrs.  Drake  stepped  down 
into  the  audience  and  told  a  well-known  old  resident,  by 
the  name  of  Tucker,  that  he  had  a  brother  dead  who  had 
just  come  into  the  room.  She  gave  his  name,  described 
him  accurately,  and  said  he  was  killed  on  the  Lynn  rail- 
road. Mr.  Tucker  admitted  that  he  had  a  brother  by  that 
name  and  that  her  description  of  him  was  very  good, 
but  that  his  brother  was  alive,  as  he  had  seen  him  only 
a  few  hours  before,  and  they  had  agreed  to  attend  this 
meeting.  Before  the  meeting  closed  a  telegram  was 
handed  to  Mr.  Tucker  stating  that  his  brother  had  just 
been  killed  on  the  railroad.  The  accident  had  occurred 
while  the  meeting  was  in  session.  The  spirit  being  familiar 
with  the  fact  of  spirit  return  continued  on  his  way  to 
the  meeting  where  he  was  going  when  the  accident 
occurred. 

In  describing  for  Brother  Miles  Grant,  she  told  him 
he  had  lost  a  little,  golden-haired  girl  about  five  or  six 
years  old.  To  admit  the  truth  of  this  description  would  be 
a  hard  fact  for  his  side  of  the  discussion.  He  did  not 
hesitate  to  deny  it  most  emphatically.  At  this,  an  old 
gray -haired  member  of  his  faith  arose  and  said:  "Brother 
Miles,  while  I  believe  as  you  do,  I  cannot  sit  here,  and,  by 
my  silence,  be  a  party  to  an  untruth.     I  remember,  more 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  489 

than  thirty  years  ago,  being  at  the  funeral  of  your  little 
daughter  and  I  think  the  lady  has  given  a  very  good 
description  of  her.  Brother  Miles  it  is  always  best  to 
tell   the  truth." 

VERIFICATION  OF  DESCRIPTION. 

At  one  of  the  first  seances  Mrs.  Drake  ever  held  at 
Angels'  Camp,  California,  before  she  had  been  there  many 
hours,  she  told  Mr.  Charles  Richards  that  he  had  not 
heard  from  any  of  his  family  or  friends,  in  the  Bast  for 
more  than  thirty  years:  that  he  had  a  beautiful  sister 
named  Lottie  who  had  died  when  she  was  fifteen  years 
old;  that  all  of  the  family  were  dead  excepting  a  sister 
and  one  other  of  the  family:  that  this  sister  was  anxious 
to  know  if  he  was  still  living:  that  they  did  not  live  at 
the  place  where  they  lived  when  he  left  home,  and  if  he 
would  write  t<>  the  place  she  named  he  would  receive  an 
immediate  reply.  He  questioned  the  statement  about  his 
sister  Lottie.  His  father's  voice  said:  "It  is  true, 
Charlie.  After  you  left  home  I  married  again  and  we  had 
a  daughter  whom  we  named  Charlotte.  Every  one  called 
her  Lottie." 

Being  a  skeptic  he  wrote  as  directed,  but  made  no  men- 
tion of  what  had  been  told  him  in  the  seance.  A  reply 
came  back,  giving  him  the  history  of  the  family  since  his 
departure  so  many  years  ago,  and  corroborating  in  detail 
the  information  given  him  by  his  father  about  his  sister 
Lottie. 

Speaking  to  a  crowded  audience  in  Dolling 's  Hall  at 
Angels,  a  local  detective,  without  a  word  of  explanation, 
handed  her  a  pencil  for  psychometric  reading.  From 
this  she  described  a  cabin  in  the  mountains,  giving  minute 
details  of  everything   in   the  cabin   even   to  the  dishes,  the 

urn ked  and  onoonsumed  food  on  the  crudely  constructed 

table,  the  chairs,  bunk,  stove  and  elothin>_r  hanging  on 
the  wall.  'Phis  description  was  so  minute  and  accurate 
that  many  in  tin-  audience,  besides  t lie  detective  ami 
Sheriff  Thorn  who  ha«i  visited  the  cabin  immediately  after 


490  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

the  murder,  recognized  and  commented  upon  it.  She 
then  described  the  owner  and  occupant  of  the  cabin  and 
told  how  he  had  been  murdered;  that  two  men  had  a  hand 
in  the  murder;  that  the  body  had  been  carried  in  a  buggy 
some  distance  and  put  into  a  hole  where  there  was  water, 
either  a  spring  or  an  old  assessment  hole.  She  concluded 
by  saying  that  there  were  three  men  then  in  the  hall  who 
had  committed  murder.  Two  of  these  men  were  known 
to  the  people  present  to  have  killed  people;  and,  there 
was  a  party  in  the  hall  who  was  then  suspected  of  the 
murder  in  the  old  cabin.  This  party  soon  after  left  the 
town.  Two  years  later  a  skeleton  was  found  in  an  old 
abandoned  shaft.  The  murder  was  that  of  Albert  A.  Ross 
in-  Bear  Mountain  in  1888  or  1889. 

During  her  stay  in  this  mining  camp,  this  psycho- 
metric science  was  used  quite  frequently  in  the  location  of 
mineral  veins,  showing  their  direction,  depth,  extent  and 
value.  In  reading  samples  of  rock  she  quite  often  gave 
a  description  of  the  surrounding  country,  its  topography, 
building,  improvements,  natural  objects,  and  people  who 
had  been  and  were  then  there;  and,  sometimes,  those  yet 
to  be  connected  with  the  mine  or  claim  from  which  the 
specimens  were  taken.  These  descriptions  were  always 
accurate  and  truthful  in  their  details. 

The  accuracy  of  these  readings  depend  upon  the  skill, 
mental  training  and  ability  of  the  psyehometer.  The 
science  itself  cannot  be  other  than  accurate.  The  immut- 
able laws  of  creation  record  nothing  but  truth.  The3r 
indulge  in  no  sophistries,  and  make  no  grand  stand  or 
gallery  plays.  From  the  time  atoms  were  called  together 
by  these  laws,  or  were  created  from  the  vortex  of  space, 
nature  has  recorded  every  change. 

The  searchers  in  the  geological  Book  of  Life  have,  for 
ages,  known  that  every  material  creation,  every  living 
organism  has  left  a  record  of  its  life  and  its  combina- 
tions upon  our  old  earth.  Tree,  flower  and  plant;  fish, 
reptile  and  minute  insect;  beast,  bird  and  man  have  left 
indelible  impress  upon  the  rocks;  sometimes  in  perfected 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  491 

forms;  sometimes  only  a  fragment  from  which,  with  skill 
and  patience,  has  been  correctly  defined,  not  only  the 
genus  and  the  species,  but  the  epoch  to  which  it  belonged. 
This  material  science,  formulated  by  consummate  skill, 
is  not  disputed,  not  questioned.  This  psychometric 
science,— a  higher  spiritual  science,— demonstrates  all  that 
material  science  can  do  in  these  lines;  and,  then  opens  an 
inner. door  to  still  more  astonishing  results,  proving  that 
no  thought  ever  vibrates  through,  or  from,  the  human 
brain  that  is  not  recorded  upon  all  its  surroundings.  Some 
go  still  further  and  claim  these  vibrations  are  recorded 
upon  some  spiritual  strata,  ether  or  astral  light,  from 
which  it  can  he  reproduced  when  required  by  the  initiated 
adept. 

It  stems  easier  to  understand  that  these  records, 
instead  of  being  made  upon  intangible  ether,  or  the  Vedan- 
tist's  astral  light,  are  made,  as  the  psychometrist  demon- 
strates, upon  surrounding  objects,  as  well  as  upon  the 
human  spirit  itself.  It  is  a  demonstrable  fact  that  thought, 
feeling  and  action — all  intellectual  vibration,  is  somewhere 
faithfully  recorded,  just  as  well  as  all  material  action  is 
eternally  photographed  upon  the  earth  and  its  rocks.  It 
is  also  certain  that  there  are  many  who  daily  measure 
and  correctly  judge  of  the  spiritual  status  of  their  asso- 
ciates, who  can  tell  the  manner,  kind  and  quality  of  their 
spirits,  what  they  have  thought  and  done,  and  what  they 
may  do.  the  same  as  the  geologist  elassifies  his  specimens 
and  tells  to  what  epoch  and  strata  they  belong  and  the 
conditions  under  which  they  existed. 

There  can  be  no  valid  argument,  in  a  strictly  scien- 
tific and  spiritual  sense,  against  the  theory  that  these 
records  are  impressed  upon  a  spiritual  universe,— that 
spirit  itself  can  be  psychometrized,— that  all  thought  of 
all  past  ages  is  known  and  traced  by  the  laws  of  spiritual 
vibration  upon  something,  the  same  as  all  forms  of  material 
action  are  photographed  upon  a  material  world.  The 
psychometrist  does  reproduce  these  pictures  from  nature's 
tablets  and  from  the  entablatures  of  spirit.     The  laws  of 


492  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

impress  are  constant  and  eternal  in  both  realms, — or  these 
pictures  and  these  inspirations  could  not  be  reproduced. 
The  sensitized  spirit  invading  these  laws ;  coming  within 
the  periphery  of  spirit's  and  matter's  ensphering  forces, 
trained  to  arrest,  for  the  instant,  these  magical  revela- 
tions, and,  skilled  in  interpretation  and  delineation,  can 
throw  the  mysterious  searchlight  of  intelligence  back  along 
creative  methods,  almost  to  the  divining  of  creative  pur- 
poses. A  science  magical  and  marvelous,  jet  simple  and 
natural,  because  true.  How  much  might  be  known,  how 
much  of  benefit  received  but  for  inherited  prejudice. 


MY   SPIRIT   GUIDE. 

In  1887,  a  spirit  gave  Mrs.  Drake  the  following  poem, 
without  giving  any  name.  The  quality  of  the  poem  may 
indicate  the  source  of  its  inspiration: 

Sitting  in   my  chamber  lonely, 

Watching    twilight's    shadows    fade, 
Till  around  me  darkness  only 

Threw  all  objects  in  the  shade; 
I  sat  eyeing,  vainly  prying  in  the  depths  of  darkened  air, 

Till  'ere  long  my  vision  testing,  at  last  I  found  it  resting 
On  a  bright  and  beauteous  star. 

I  sat  gazing,  fondly  gazing. 

Through  the  boundless  realms  of  space; 
And  my  thoughts  were  dimly  tracing 

All  the  beauties  of  the  place. 
When  this  star  was  brightly  shining,  shining  always  on  the  earth, 

Then  arose  a  holy  feeling,  o'er  my  brain  this  thought  came 
stealing, 
Whence  the  one  that  gave  it  birth? 

All   around   was   darkness   dreary, 

When   at  once   I  heard   a   sound, 
Booming  through   the   air   so   clearly, 

Making  all  the  hills  resound; 
From  my  reverie  quickly  starting,  starting  at  a  sound  so  strange, 

And  my  gaze  at  once  directing,  to  my  beauteous  star,  ex- 
pecting 
To  detect  from  whence  it  came. 


«i 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  493 

I  kept  watching,  closely  watching. 

From   my  quiet  seat  afar. 
And    the   radiant    rays   were   catching. 

As   they   twinkled   from    my   star, 
When   suddenly  I  saw  departing,  departing  like  a  ray  of  light. 

And   through   realms  of  ether  winging,   nearer  to   my   vision 
bringing 
A  being  clothed  in  starry  light. 

Wrapt    in    wonder   I    sat    viewing 

Its  approach  from  realms  so  bright. 
As  its  course  it  kept  pursuing, 

"Till  to  my  astonished  sight; 
Near  me  on  the  earth  alighting,  alighting  on  the  earth  so  dear. 

And    with   notes   of   music   singing,    to    my    raptured    senses 
bringing 
Sweetest   music    full    and    clear. 

Yet   with   rapture   still   increasing. 
On   my  spirit  guide   I  gazed; 
Soon  the  wondrous  music  ceasing. 

She  her  spangled   pinions  raised; 
And   around   me   still    kept    hov'ring.    hov'ring   "fore   my   anxious 
eyes. 
And    in   accents    kind,    endearing,    I    no    more   her   presence 
fearing, 
Filled   my  soul  with  sweet  surprise. 

"Child   of  earth,   no   more  repining. 

I  am  come  to  teach  the  truth, 
Long,  too  long,  have  men  designing. 

Kept  it  from  the  minds  of  youth; 
From  yon  star  so  brightly  beaming,  beaming  with  a  light  so  clear, 

I  have  come,"  said  she  exclaiming. "I  am  come  this  truth  pro- 
claiming. 
'False   religions  flourish  here.'  " 

"On  this  earth  vile  men  are  teaching. 

Teaching  falsehood's  blackest  art; 
Seldom    after    virtue    reaching. 

Its  rare  beauties  to  impart; 
But  are  ever,  ever  planning,  planning  always  insincere, 

Every   virtuous   trait   dispelling,   and    to   you    this   falsehood 
telling, 
'True  religion   is  born  through  fear.'  " 

'in  yon  star  so  brightly  burning. 

Yonder  in  those  fields  of  space," 
Said  my  spirit  guide,  returning 

To  her  brilliant  dwelling  place. 
"  Dwells   religion,   pure,  unchanging,  unchanging  as  the  heavens 
above. 
And  around  us  all  are  praising,  and  to  heaven  the  songs  are 
raising, 
Religion  is  the  heir  of  lo\ 


494  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

As  she  spoke,  her  form  receding, 

Vanished  from  my  aching  sight; 
Still  my  heart  with  rapture  beating, 
Filled  my  soul  with  pure  delight; 
And  her  image  still  kept  hov'ring,  hov'ring  round  with  glittering 
beams, 
'Till    a   cloud   my   star   obscuring,    racked   my   bosom    past 
enduring, 
And  awoke  me  from  my  dream. 

I  awoke  with  bosom  welling, 

And  my  heart  with  love  o'erflowed, 
As  I  wandered  from  my  dwelling, 
Gazing  on  the  works  of  God; 
And  it  seemed  these  words  were  echoing,  echoing  through  the 
heavens   above. 
And  with  music  sweet,  surprising,  nature's  voice  in  concert 
rising, 
"Nature's  God's  the  God  of  Love." 

Evermore  my  mind  recurring 

To  my  beauteous  spirit  Guide, 
Thinking  o'er  her  words,  preferring 

In  her  wisdom  to  confide; 
And  my  soul  in  love  communing,  communing  with  God's  works 
so  fair, 
Ever  in  its  love  increasing,  and  with  transport  never  ceasing, 
Turns  to  thee,  my  spirit  star. 

—Kansas   City,  Dec.   5,   1887. 


MANIFESTATIONS  AT  MOME. 

A  Boston  lady — a  writer  of  considerable  prominence — 
who  was  an  intimate  friend  and  associate  of  Mrs.  Lord's, 
gives  the  following  account  of  some  of  the  marvelous  mani- 
festation that  occurred  in  her  presence  while  she  was  stop- 
ping with  Mrs.  Lord  at  No.  26  Chester  Park : 

"In  the  winter  of  1882,  it  was  my  pleasure  and  privi- 
lege to  be  a  member  of  the  household  of  Mrs.  Maud  E. 
Lord,  now  Mrs.  Drake.  I  will  not  mention  the  publie 
seances  which  were  regularity  held  at  this  place,  and  which 
I  often  attended,  but  will  confine  myself  to  a  few  of  the 
many  incidents  which  happened  in  the  every-day  life  of 
this  wonderful  medium. 

Truly,  heaven  and  earth  were  very  closely  connected 
in  this  home,  for  the  spirits  of  the  departed  could  speak 
in  audible  voice,  move  material  objects,  and  associate  them- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  495 

selves  with  our  everyday  life,  many  times  as  tangibly  as 
though  in  the  body. 

At  one  time,  after  dinner,  upon  returning  from  the 
dining  room  which  was  in  the  basement,  I  went  into  the 
parlor  and  took  a  seat  at  the  piano  and  commenced  to  run 
over  the  keys,  playing  Borne  simple  little  air,  when  a  voice 
by  my  side  said:  "Good  evening,  Miss  Huff.  I'm  glad  to 
hear  you  play."  I  turned  to  see  who  was  speaking.  There 
was  no  person  in  the  room.  As  I  ran  out  into  the  hall,  a 
hearty  laugh  greeted  me.  which  I  recognized  as  the  voice  of 
spirit  Clarence.  Other  members  of  the  family  were  on 
their  way  from  the  dining  room.  Mrs.  Lord  was  at  the 
foot  of  the  stairs,  as  I  found  upon  going  into  the  hall. 

Physical  manifestations  very  frequently  occurred  while 
we  were  eating.  The  large  dining  table  would  be  lifted 
entirely  from  the  floor  without  spilling  or  disturbing  any- 
thing thereon,  and  loud  raps  would  be  heard  about  the 
room,  which  intelligently  communicated  to  us  what  they 
wished  to  tell  us  in  reply  to  our  questions.  They  seemed  to 
be  interested  in  our  welfare  and  in  all  of  our  doings  the 
same  as  other  members  of  the  family. 

One  morning  the  milk  man  was  late  in  delivering  his 
milk.  The  bottle  came  while  we  were  at  the  table.  The  ser- 
vant, failing  in  her  efforts  to  remove  the  cork,  we  all  took 
a  hand  at  it,  each  one  being  unsuccessful.  At  last,  Maud 
said  :  'Put  it  in  the  closet,  or  cupboard,  and  shut  the  door. ' 
This  was  done  and  in  a  few  seconds  loud  raps  wire  heard 
on  the  door,  which,  when  opened,  disclosed  the  fact  that  the 
refractory  cork  had  been  removed. 

I  have  seen  a  bottle  raised  and  moved  about  the  table 
without  any  visible  hand  touching  it.  These  things  were  of 
common  occurrence. 

One  evening  Mrs.  Lord  and  myself  had  been  away. 
Wh<-n  we  returned  the  maid  who  attended  the  door  did  not 
respond  to  the  ring  of  the  bell.  She  had  gone  out.  safely 
locking  every  door  in  the  front  and  back  of  the  house,  ex- 
pecting to  return  in  time  to  admit  the  members  of  the 
family  who  were  all  absenl  .it  the  time.    After  trying  every 


496  PSYCHIC     IJGHT 

door,  Maud  and  myself  stood  nonplussed.  The  weather  was 
cold  and  we  could  not  wait  long.  Would  the  invisibles 
help  us  in  our  extremity  ?  I  shall  never  forget  that  moment 
when  Maud  placed  her  hand  on  the  knob,  holding  it  there 
for  an  instant,  when  the  door  flew  open !  The  spring  lock 
which  would  have  resisted  all  human  effort,  without  the 
proper  key,  was  dextrously  managed  by  the  powers  which 
seemed  always  to  attend  this  wonderful  woman. 

There  was  a  very  heavy  sofa  bed  in  my  room— so  heavy 
that  it  would  have  been  quite  a  lift  for  two  men.  One 
evening  I  was  lying  on  this  bed  when  Maud  came  in.  She 
took  a  seat  near  me  and  we  were  having  quite  an  earnest 
conversation,  which,  evidently,  interested  the  spirits,  who 
responded  by  raising  the  bed  up  and  down  in  affirmation, 
or  negation  to  what  we  were  saying. 

At  another  time,  in  the  broad  day  light,  Maud  was  sit- 
ting on  the  piano  stool  in  the  parlor,  I  stood  beside  her;  we 
were  then  discussing  the  question  of  Maud's  losing  her 
home  through  the  perfidy  of  a  professed  spiritualist  when 
a  noise,  like  the  rushing  of  the  mighty  wind,  swept  through 
the  room,  the  piano  was  raised  up  and  down,  back  and 
forth,  with  the  mighty  force  which  seemed  almost  ter- 
rific in  its  vehemence  and  volume.  At  this  Val,  one  of 
her  guides,  spoke  and  said:  'I  am  here  with  all  of  my 
power  to  help  you." 

There  are  many  similar  experiences  which  might  be 
given,  demonstrating  beyond*  the  shadow  of  a  doubt,  that 
there  is  'only  a  thin  veil'  between  this  world  and  that  of 
the  so-called  dead;  and,  that  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord-Drake  is 
one  of  the  greatest  mediums  of  modern  times. 

Emma  J.   Huff." 

THE    FOURTH    DIMENSION. 

To  those  who  live  only  in  the  first  and  second  dimen- 
sions of  space,  if  such  were  possible,  all  that  occurs  in  the 
third  dimension  would  be  miraculous,  disputable,  denied 
and  called  a  fraud.  Men  are  only  wise  from  their  angle 
of  vision.     Many  believe  there  is  nothing  beyond  their  ex- 


CONTINUITY     OF      LAW     AND     "LIFE.  197 

perienoe.     De  Profundis  has  oo  meaning  to  them.     The 

earth  is  flat  and  they  know  it.     Many  of  those  living  in  the 

three  dimensions  ar [ually  aa  wise     There  is  aothing 

beyond  their  Bense  and  their  reason— unless  it  he  as  the 
orthodox  people  Bay — "the  devil"— and  they  have  people 
hired  i<>  round  up  this  distinguished  party  oner  ;i  week 
and  put  him  hack  where  he  will  keep  warm.  Anyone  dar- 
ing to  let  a  little  light  in  on  this  intangible  monster,  roam- 
ing round  in  a  fourth  dimension,  is  immediately  brought 
i<>  bar.  and  properly  relegated  to  the  place  where  colds 
are  prohibited.  At  some  distance  in  the  past  there  were 
other  ways  of  disposing  of  these  inquisitive  people,  but 
those  methods  have  been  discarded  by  the  evolution  of 
civilization.  It  is  not  popular  now  to  murder  them  on  a 
cross,  suspend  them  from  a  tree,  burn  them  at  the  stake, 
or  give  them  hemlock  tea;  and.  hence  this  more  modem, 
orthodox  method  of  keeping  people  within  the  three  dimen- 
sions. They  must  not  accept  any  conclusion  outside  of  their 
creeds  and  contrary  to  the  interpretation  of  the  self-consti- 
tuted authorities. 

It  was  Byron  who  wrote:  "I  feel  my  immortality  o'er 
sweep  all  pains,  all  tears,  all  time,  all  fears:  and,  peal  like 
the  eternal  thunder  of  the  deep  into  my  ears  this  truth — 
'Thou  livest  forever.'  " 

Horace — ode  30 — said :  "I  shall  not  wholly  die.  Some 
part,  nor  that  a  little,  shall  escape  the  dark  destroyer's  dart 
and  his  grim   festival." 

Homer  makes  Achilles  to  say  of  his  friend  Patrocles: 

The  form   subsists   without   a   body's  aid. 
Tli is   llight,   my   friend   so  late  in   battle  lost. 
Stood   by  my   side,  a  pensive,  plaintive  ghost; 
Even   now   familiar  as   in   life  he  came, 
Alas!     How   different:      Yet   bow   like  the  same. 

Xeiiophon    and    Plato    both    testify    to    the    reliability 

of  the  **  Divine  Voice"  that  whispered  to  and  guided  Soc- 
rates all  through  life. 

Lycurgus,  the  greal  Spartan  Law-giver,  and  Herodotus 
have  both  left  evidence  of  having  consulted  the  Oracles  and 


498  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

the  reliability  of  their  prophecies,  as  well  as  their  belief 
in  the  same. 

Plutarch  writing  about  the  Oracles  says:  "Pythia  so 
proved  her  power  of  foretelling  events,  such  as  the  eruption 
of  Mount  Vesuvius,  the  destruction  of  Pompeii  and  Hercu- 
laneum,  and  the  defeat  of  Xerxes'  army,  that  it  would  be 
useless  to  bring  forth  new  evidence."  Pindar,  the  lyric 
poet  of  the  Golden  Age  of  Grecian  literatures,  who  sought 
his  inspiration  from  the  Pythia  at  the  temple  of  Delphi,  five 
hundred  years  before  Christ's  time,  taught  the  immortality 
of  the  soul : 

"After  death  there  is  in  store  a  gladsome  life." 

Dr.  Roberts  of  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  who  preaches  to  a 
congregation  of  the  brightest  and  boldest  thinkers  in  this 
country,  in  a  recent  sermon  said :  "  It  is  profoundly  signif- 
icant that  this  belief  in  life  beyond  has  persisted.  It  has 
been  substantially  held  by  all  people,  and  has  outlasted  the 
changes  in  civilizations,  and  the  overthrow  of  thrones  and 
dynasties.  It  has  come  down  the  ages,  step  by  step,  inde- 
pendent of  the  laws,  the  customs,  the  religions,  or  the  habits 
of  the  people  of  the  different  nations.  Yet  more  significant 
is  it  that  it  has  withstood  every  advance  of  science,  all 
progress  of  knowledge,  all  the  inquiry  into  the  secrets  and 
mystery  of  life  and  being — it' has  withstood  them  all.  Here 
and  there,  in  this,  as  in  most  of  the  periods  of  history,  have 
been  individuals  who,  either  did  not  want  to  live  again,  or 
else  did  not  believe  they  should.  But  these  are  exceptions 
—are  anomalies." 

Professor  Hyslop  of  Columbia  College,  when  asked  if 
his  experience  with  the  noted  Boston  medium,  Mrs.  Piper, 
had  resulted  in  his  acceptance  of  Spiritualism,  replied: 
"It  positively  has  done  so;  there  is  no  other  explanation 
but  spiritism." 

Bishop  Newman  of  the  Methodist  church,  said:  "I  am 
as  certain  of  the  communication  between  this  and  the  spirit 
world  as  I  am  of  communication  between  London  and  New 
York." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFK  499 

The  Rev.  Benry  Frank  of  New  York  said:  "The  will 
is  the  gate-keeper  of  the  soul.  Thought  is  the  manifesta- 
tion of  spirit  through  matter.  It  is  creative,  deific  and 
imperishable.  It  is  the  heritage  of  the  past  and  the  heirloom 
of  the  future.     It  is  the  dynamics  of  silence." 

WHAT    THE    FACTS    PROVE. 

The  incidents,  thus  far  related,  cover  nearly  all  forms 
of  the  phenomena  recorded  in  sacred  and  profane  his- 
tories. None  of  them  are  new ;  all  are  done  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  the  universe  And  none  are  beyond  accept- 
ance by  those  mentally  qualified  to  understand  spiritual 
truths.  They  are  all  simply  facts,  told  just  as  they  oc- 
curred. All  are  referable  to  spirit  agency;  some  are  done 
in  accordance  with  known  laws;  some  in  accordance  with 
laws  imperfectly  understood,  except  by  adepts  in  and  out 
of  the  body.  These  incidents  have  occurred  in  the  widest 
range  of  conditions  as  to  time,  place  and  surroundings, 
showing  the  universality  of  this  vital  force,  applicable  for 
the  production  of  this  phenomena  OXLY  when  generated 
by  vital  chemistry.  Western  philosophy  has  refused  to 
recognize  this  division  of  this  universal  force  and  its  adapt- 
ability to  mental  control.  It  has  only  studied  its  physical 
manifestations  and  mechanical  application,  as  electricity, 
wireless  transmission  of  sound  and  light,  and  other  vibra- 
tions—and all  this  within  the  last  fifty  years. 

The  Orientals,  on  the  other  hand,  have  studied  it  for 
more  than  a  hundred  centuries,  until  they  produce  results 
that  we  are  not  able  to  understand.  We  do  not  compre- 
hend the  A  B  C  of  their  conquests  of  intellectual  and 
material  forces.  How  insignificant  seems  the  science  and 
supposed  wisdom  of  those  who  dispute  that  to  which  they 
do  not  even  approximate  a  conception,  much  less  ;m  under- 
standing.   We  submit  these  facts— as  facts,  th rtainty 

and  reliability  of  which  there  is  no  question.  None  need 
aecepl  our  theory  or  conclusions.  Formulate  a  theory 
of  your  own  that  shall  cover  all  of  these  facts— not  some 
of  them,  but  ALL  of  them. 


500  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Spirit  phenomena  antedate  all  records.  Its  facts 
were  accepted  for  what  they  were  by  the  wisest  and  most 
learned  more  than  four  thousand  years  ago.  None  thought 
to  question  their  verity.  The  Greeks,  two  thousand  years 
before  Christ's  time,  coined  language  in  which  to  express 
the  facts  of  this  spiritual  science.  Occasionally  a  thinker 
has  defied  scientific  dogma  and  ecclesiastical  authority,  and 
spoken  in  no  uncertain  language. 

As  an  illustration  we  quote  in  the  following  chapter 
from  an  unpublished  work  of  Hon.  George  W.  Lewis,  the 
well-known  spiritual  scientist  of  California.  From  Judge 
Lewis'  long  and  thorough  training  in  the  classics,  his  suc- 
cessful practice  of  the  law,  his  avocation  as  a  jurist,  and 
his  discussions  of  material,  as  well  as  spiritual  science,  he 
is  especially  well  qualified  to  weigh  evidence  and  reach 
logical  conclusions.  None  are  more  competent,  or  better 
qualified  to  speak  upon  the  facts  with  which  the  following 
chapter  deals.  Lewis  is  to  this  country  what  Gladstone 
wras  to  England  as  authority  upon  Helenic  language  and 
history. 

Gnothi  Se  Auton— ( Know  Thyself.) 

THE     TEMPLE     OF     DELPHI    AN     ANCIENT     SHRINE     OF     SPIRIT- 
UALISM. 

"The  inscription  above,  a  saying  sometimes  accredited 
to  Solon  of  Athens,  was  written  in  golden  letters  over  the 
door  of  the  Temple  of  Delphi,  one  of  the  greatest  shrines 
of  spirit  communication  in  ancient  or  modern  times.  The 
sentiment  it  inculcates  was  held  by  the  ancients  to  be  sacred 
and  divine.  For  no  man  can  have  any  adequate  knowl- 
edge of  himself  without  knowing  his  origin,  his  surround- 
ings and  his  destiny. 

He  must  know  something,  at  least,  of  this  relation  to 
the  past,  to  his  environment  of  the  present,  and  of  his  rela- 
tion to  the  spirit  world  and  life  beyond  the  grave. 

And,  believing  as  the  ancients  did,  in.  a  continued,  in- 
dividual, conscious  existence  bevond  the  dissolution  of  the 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  501 

body,  it  is  not  strange  thai  the  Roman  philosopher  should 
have  exclaimed: 

E  eoelo  deseendit,  Gnothi  so  auton. 
Know  thyself  desa  tided  from  heaven.) 

"No  one  pretends  to  know  when  the  shrine  was  estab- 
lished at  Delphi,  or  when  the  temple  was  bnilded.  It  ante- 
dates by  unnumbered  years  the  authentic  records  of  history. 
The  temple  existed  Long  anterior  to  the  days  of  Homer,  and 
before  the  days  of  unhappy  lllium.  For  Homer,  in  his 
undying  songs,  the  Qliad  and  the  Odyssey,  sang  of  the 
sacred  oracle  of  Delphi.  According  to  Herodotus.  Homer 
lived  850  years  B.  C.  but  others  claim  that  he  lived  350 
years  earlier  or  1200  B.  C. 

"But  Bomer  wrote  of  incidents  that  occurred  hun- 
dreds of  years  before  his  time.  He  wrote  and  Bang  of  the 
Trojan  war  and  of  occurrences  that  transpired  and  existed 
long  before  that  time.  Sir  YV.  E.  Gladstone,  who  was  one  of 
the  ablest  Greek  scholars  of  modern  times,  dates  the  com- 
mencement of  the  Trojan  war  at  1316  B.  C.  But  during 
and  prior  to  the  Trojan  war  the  Temple  of  Delphi  was  an 
old  established  shrine.  I  think  we  can  safely  predicate 
its  existence  at  least  2000  years  B.  C. 

"The  Temple  of  Delphi  was  situated  in  the  valley  of 
Phocis  in  Greece,  at  the  southern  base  of  Mount  Parnassus. 
and  about  six  miles  from  the  shores  of  the  Corinthian  Gulf. 
The  first  temple,  antedating  historic  times,  was  destroyed 
by  fire  548  years  B.  C,  but  it  was  immediately  replaced  by 
a  new  one,  a  building  of  most  magnificent  structure.  The 
front  was  of  Parian  marble,  and  the  sculptural  decorations 
were  extremely  rich.  Among  the  vast  number  of  apart- 
ments within  the  temple  was  an  Innermost  Sanctuary,  de 
voted  to  the  exclusive  use  of  the  prophetess,  or  Pythia,  as 
she  was  called.  We  are  told  thai  beneath  this  sanctuary 
W8S  a  cleft  in  the  ground  from  which  arose  sold  vapors 
which  had  the  power  of  inducing  'ecstasy. '  And  over 
this  a  circular  platform  was  placed,  on  which  was  a  tripod 
or  seat  for  the  Pythia. 


502  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"Originally  there  was  but  one  Pythia,  or  Prophetess, 
but  in  more  prosperous  times  there  were  two  who  ascended 
the  tripod  alternately,  and  then  a  third,  used  when  required 
as  an  assistant.  At  an  early  date  the  Pythia  entered  the 
Innermost  Sanctuary  but  once  a  year,  but  later  she  prophe- 
sied every  day,  if  the  day  itself  and  the  sacrifices  were 
propitious.  The  Pythia  prepared  herself  by  washings  and 
purifications,  and  then  entered  the  Sanctuary,  clad  in  flow- 
ing robes,  with  golden  ornaments  in  her  hair.  She  drank 
of  the  fountain  of  Cassotis,  tasted  of  the  fruit  of  the  bay- 
tree,  and  then  entered  the  Sanctuary,  and  took  her  seat 
upon  the  tripod.  No  one  was  with  her  in  that  sacred  pre- 
cinct. A  priest,  called  a  Prophet es,  a  prophet,  was  in  at- 
tendance to  explain  or  interpret  the  words  of  the  Pythia 
to  the  suppliant  seeking  the  communication. 

"As  the  Pythia  sat  upon  the  tripod  within  the  Inner- 
most Sanctuary,  a  cold  breeze  passed  over  her  organism 
until  she  became  in  a  state  of  ecstasy,  and  then  she  gave 
forth  her  prophetic  words,  her  counsel,  advice,  admonition 
or  warning,  as  the  case  might  be,  and  the  Priest,  or  Proph- 
et es  explained  the  communication,  and  put  the  words  in 
metrical  form,  usually  in  hexameter  verse.*  For  more  than 
1500  years  the  reputation  of  the  Oracle  stood  very  high. 

"On  all  important  occasions,  especially  in  establishing 
colonies,  framing  legislation,  and  establishing  religious 
ordinances,  in  fact  in  all  matters,  in  peace  or  in  war,  the 
Pythia  was  consulted.  This  was  done  not  only  by  the 
Greeks,  but  by  the  people  of  Asia  and  Italy,  and  in  fact 
by  the  people  throughout  the  known  world.  So  many  were 
at  the  temple  seeking  communications  that  they  were 
obliged  to  determine  by  lot  who  should  take  precedence  in 
approaching  the  sacred  shrine. 

"The  communications  of  the  Pythia  were  held  in  the 
highest  repute,  until  after  the  Persian  invasion,  when  the 


*NOTE — Some  writers  assert  that  Phemonoe  was  the  first 
known  priestess  at  the  Dephic  shrine,  and  the  inventor  of 
hexameters. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  503 

priests  became  corrupt,  bartering  the  communications  for 
selfish  gains,  and  the  consequent  skepticism  and  unbelief 
set  in.  But  the  communications  continued  to  be  given  at 
Delphi  till  tin-  latter  part  of  the  Fourth  century  A.  D., 
when  they  were  abolished  by  Theodosius  the  Great,  one 
of  the  Christian  emperors  of  Rome,  who  died  A.  D.,  394. 
Those  desiring  further  information  upon  this  subject  can 
consult  the  Journal  of  Helenic  Research,  Vol.  IX,  pages 
282-322." 

In  this  short  sketch  of  the  Delphic  Oracle,  we  see  the 
most  unmistakable  evidence  of  spirit  communication  and 
spirit  control.  The  Pythia  of  that  age  was,  in  fact,  what 
is  known  to-day  as  a  Mi  dium.  The  manifestations  of  spirit 
power  through  the  Pythia  at  Delphi  were  subject  to  the 
same  laws,  and  dependent  upon  the  same  conditions  as  those 
given  through  the  mediums  of  to-day.  The  Innermost 
Sanctuary  of  the  temple,  devoted  exclusively  to  the  use  of 
the  Pythia,  was  as  essential  to  the  manifestation  of  spirit 
power  through  her  as  the  cabinet  is  to  the  communica- 
tions through  the  Mediums  of  to-day. 

The  Innermost  Sanctuary  of  the  temple  was  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  the  Cabinet  used  by  the  mediums  at  the 
present  time.  The  ecstasy  of  the  Pythia  was  the  trance  of 
the  modern  Medium. 

Christian  writers  try  to  divert  the  signification  of  the 
word  'ecstasy'  from  its  original  meaning.  The  word  is 
from  the  Grerk  'ekstasis' — entrancement.— from  ek,  mean- 
ing "out*  and  histimi,  meaning  'to  stand.'  Eence  the  word 
'ecstasy,'  <ksta*is  of  the  Pythia,  consisted  in  the  spirit  of 
ill.-  Pythia  standing  out  of  its  normal  relation  with,  or  con- 
trol <.t'  her  body,  and  allowing  a  departed  spirit  to  take 
possession  ami  temporary  control  and  thereby,  through  the 
organism  of  the  Pythia,  to  communicate  its  prophetic 
utterances,  or  other  communications  to  mortals  on  earth, 
or  to  otherwise  manifesl  the  wonderful  powers  and  phe- 
nomena of  tli"  spirit  world  through  the  organism  of  the 

Pythia. 

The  saL'ts  of  Qreece  knew  what  they  were  doing  when 


504  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

(hey  coined  the  word  'ekstasis,'  and  they  meant  what  they 
said.  They  used  this  word  to  express  a  fact  that  had  come 
within  the  range  of  their  observation  and  experience.  By 
the  use  of  this  word  they  expressed  the  fact  that  during 
the  trance,  the  spirit  of  the  person  entranced  stood  out  of 
its  normal  relation  with  the  person's  body  and  allowed  a 
disembodied  spirit  to  take  possession  and  control.  This 
was  the  primary  meaning  of  the  word  'ekstasis/  but  like 
all  other  words  it  came  to  have  secondary  and  other  mean- 
ings. But  in  modern  times  Christian  writers  and  scien- 
tists have  made  the  secondary  meanings  of  the  word  the 
primary.  However,  in  all  the  English  dictionaries,  such 
as  the  Century,  the  Standard,  "Worcester,  and  Webster, 
the  word  'trance'  is  given  as  one  of  the  meanings  of 
'ecstasy.'  In  Sophocles'  Greek  Lexicon,  as  well  as  in  that 
of  Lidell  and  Scott,  the  meaning  of  the  Greek  word  'Txsta- 
sis'  is  given  as  'trance.'  In  the  New  Testament,  Acts 
X:10,  "Peter  fell  into  a  trance."  (Epepesen  ep  auton 
ekstasis).  Literally  'a,  trance  fell  or  came  upon  him.'  In 
Acts  XI :5,  Peter  said:  'In  a  trance  I  saw  a  vision'  (en 
ekstasei).  And  in  Acts  XXII :17,  Paul  said:  'While  I 
prayed  in  the  temple  I  was  in  a  trance"  (Genesthai  me  en 
ekstasei) . 

Hence,  neither  Christian  writer  nor  scientist  can  con- 
sistently cavil  over  the  meaning  of  the  word  ecstasy,  as 
applied  to  the  Pythia  of  Delphi,  the  Medium  of  to-day,  or  to 
St.  Peter  or  St.  Paul. 

The  Pythia  was  entranced  by  departed  spirits,  and 
thus  under  spirit  control  gave  her  messages  to  men  on 
earth.  This  was  clearly  understood  by  the  ancients.  It 
was  no  mystery  to  them.  And  we  must  not  forget  that 
when  the  Pythia  entered  the  sanctuary  or  cabinet,  a  cold 
breeze,  or  as  they  called  it  a  "cold  vapor"  swept  over  her 
body  and  induced  the  "ekstasis,"  ecstasy,  or  trance.  What 
medium  is  there  to-day  who  does  not  experience  the  same 
'cold  breeze'  pervading  her  organism  when  going  into  a 
trance,  or  spirit  control?  In  fact,  there  are  too  many  per- 
sons, all  over  the  world,  who,  though  not  mediums,  have 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  505 

experienced  the  same  influence  ;it  spirit  seances  to  gainsay 

or  1 1  < ■  1 1 >-  the  proposition. 

MK.     LEWIS'    PERSONAL     EXPERIENCE. 

"■  In  1868,  soon  after  my  graduation  at  college,  I  came 
to  San  Francisco.  California.  I  had  never  seen  a  medium, 
and  knew  nothing  of  spiritualism.  My  time  had  been  en- 
tirely devoted  to  the  Languages,  mathematics,  natural  sci- 
ences  and  metaphysics.  I  had  neither  time  nor  inclination 
to  deal  with  vague  speculations,  appearing  to  have  no 
foundation  in  fact,  or  not  susceptible  of  rigid  and  posi- 
tive proof. 

I  left  many  friends  in  the  East,  among  whom  was  a 
most  estimable  young  lady  with  whom  I  corresponded  after 
coming  to  California.  T  was  then  a  strict  Presbyterian. 
It  was  in  the  early  seventies. 

I  had  received  a  letter  from  this  young  lady,  and  in 
the  evening,  sitting  in  my  room  alone,  I  was  answering  the 
letter.  I  was  writing  with  a  pencil,  intending  after  cor- 
rections and  revision,  to  carefully  write  it  with  a  pen  and 
send  it  on  its  mission.  I  came  to  a  particular  sentence,  and 
while  arranging  the  words  in  my  mind,  my  hand  holding 
the  pencil  was  resting  on  the  paper,  when  all  at  once  a 
very  cold  breeze  seemed  to  pass  over  me,  and  especially 
down  my  right  arm.  It  was  a  warm  summer  evening  and 
there  was  no  wind  or  breeze  from  without  to  disturb  the 
atmosphere  or  to  reach  me.  This  cold  breeze  pervaded  my 
whole  body,  but  more  especially  my  right  arm.  Soon  my 
arm  began,  to  grow  light.  It  then  involuntarily  arose  from 
the  table.     My  hand  commenced  moving  in  circles,  then 

slowly  descended,  till  the  pencil  point  touched  the  paper. 
Then  it  seemed  as  if  a  strong  external  power  had  hold  of 
my  arm  and  hand.  Under  this  power  a  few  circles  weir 
described,  when  by  a  slow,  deliberate  movement  of  my  hand 
and  pencil  the  following  words  were  written:  'George,  I 
am  so  glad  to  s,c  you.  I  died'  (giving  the  day  and  date 
and  signed  her  name  'Mary.' 


506  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

The  pencil  then  dropped  from  my  fingers  and  the 
cold  breeze  passed  off. 

The  letter  I  was  answering  had  been  received  by  me 
that  morning,  and  when  writing  it  the  lady  was  in  the 
best  of  health.  It  was  dated  at  New  York  about  two  weeks 
before  this  occurrence.  I  was  dumbfounded.  I  had  given 
no  attention  to  spiritualism  and  knew  nothing  of  it.  I 
had  never  seen  a  medium.  I,  therefore,  so  far  as  I  could, 
dismissed  the  matter  from  my  mind.  I  finished  my  letter 
and  mailed  it  that  night,  but  said  nothing  of  this  expe- 
rience. But  at  the  next  mail  from  New  York  I  received  a 
letter  informing  me  of  the  sudden  death  of  the  young  lady. 
And  what  was  most  astounding  to  me,  the  death  occurred 
on  the  exact  day  that  had  been  written  by  the  involuntary 
movement  of  my  hand  and  arm  on  that  night  while  alone 
in  my  room. 

And  from  that  time  on,  before  I  ever  saw  a  medium,  I 
received  the  most  incontestable  proofs  of  spirit  existence, 
and  of  their  power  to  return  and  communicate  with  mor- 
tals. But  almost  invariably  the  first  intimation  that  I 
would  receive  of  spirit  control  would  be  the  passing  of  a 
cold  breeze  over  me.  Sometimes  it  would  be  only  over  my 
arm  and  hand. ' ' 

EXPERIENCE     OF     MR.     AND     MRS.     LEWIS     AT     MRS.     DRAKE 'S 

SEANCE. 

In  May,  1903,  Mrs.  Lewis  and  myself  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  attend  one  of  Mrs.  Maud  Lord-Drake's  seances,  at 
her  residence,  No.  521  Golden  Gate  Avenue,  San  Fran- 
cisco, California.  We  are  residing  at  No.  321,  same 
street.  We  reached  Mrs.  Drake's  a  few  minutes  before 
the  time  for  the  seance,  and  found  about  fifteen  persons 
in  waiting.  A  few  more  came  in,  and  soon  the  chairs 
were  placed  in  a  circular  position.  The  guests  were  seated 
and  each  one  was  reauested  to  take  with  the  left  hand  the 
wrist  of  the  person  at  the  left,  thus  leaving  the  right  hand 
free  to  take  the  spirit  hand  should  the  celestial  visitants 
appear.  The  windows  were  carefully  fastened,  and  the  doors 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  507 

securely  locked.  Mrs.  Drake  then  took  her  Beat  within  the 
circle.  After  the  circle  was  thus  formed,  two  strangers 
came  and  were  admitted  to  the  seance  room.  They  ad- 
mitted that  they  were  skeptics,  but  expressed  a  desire  to 
receive  evidence  of  a  continuity  of  life  beyond  the  grave  if 
it  could  be  given.  Evidently,  however,  they  thought  no 
such  evidence  could  be  produced.  Mrs.  Drake  said  that  in 
order  to  satisfy  themselves  that  there  was  no  fraud  nor 
collusion  they  might  see  that  the  doors  and  windows  were 
securely  fastened  against  intrusion,  and  that  during  the 
seance  they  might  hold  her  hands. 

This  they  did.  Those  in  the  circle  were  strangers  to 
Mrs.  Lewis  and  myself,  except  one,  Mr.  W.  T.  Jones,  a 
bookkeeper  with  the  Order  of  Pendo,  residing  at  No.  837 
Shrader  Street,  one  of  San  Francisco's  most  honored  and 
respected  citizens. 

All  things  being  in  readiness,  the  lights  were  turned 
off.  Immediately  a  small  music  box  commenced  playing 
while  floating  over  the  heads  of  those  in  the  circle.  It 
required  twro  hands  to  play  upon  this  little  instrument,  one 
to  hold  it,  and  another  to  turn  the  crank. 

Other  instruments  floated  around  discoursing  sweet 
music.  A  light  appeared  before  the  lady  sitting  at  my 
left,  and  at  the  same  time  one  appeared  before  the  lady  at 
my  right,  while  in,  and  apparently  back  of,  each  light, 
appeared  a  face  that  was  immediately  recognized  by  each 
lady.  Conversations  were  carried  on  by  the  ladies  on  either 
side  of  me  with  the  forms  appearing  in  the  respective  lights. 

At  the  Bame  time  the  musical  instruments  were  float- 
ing over  our  heads,  and  lights  were  moving  about  the  room, 

and  spirit  forms  appearing  to.  and  conversing  with  many 
in  the  circle.    Spirit  hands,  Large  and  small,  were  passing 

around  and  touching  those  in  the  circle.  One  half  or  two- 
thirds  of  those  present   were  at   the  Bame  time  conversing 

fare  to  fi with  their  spirit  friends,  fully  recognized  and 

identified  by  them,  the  Lights  al  the  same  time  appearing 
and  moving  ahout  in  every  pari  of  the  room,  and  the 
musical   instruments  floating  around  and  playing.     And 


508  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

during  all  this  time  Mrs.  Drake  was  in  her  chair,  in  her 
normal  condition,  describing  spirits,  conversing  with  them, 
and  at  times  conversing  with  those  in  the  circle. 

While  these  conversations  were  going  on  in  all  parts  of 
the  circle,  lights  and  musical  instruments  floating  as  de- 
scribed, the  little  music  box  was  placed  in  my  lap  and  con- 
tinued playing  while  there.  My  face  and  hands  were 
touched  by  many  hands.  Some  were  large,  and  some  were 
tiny  hands,  smaller  by  far  than  those  of  any  of  the  persons 
in  the  circle.  The  word  'Mary*  was  spoken.  I  made  no 
reply  at  the  time.  The  lady  at  my  left  thought  it  was  for 
her,  as  did  the  one  at  my  right,  but  to  their  questions  no 
response  was  given.  Again  the  word  'Mary'  was  spoken. 
1  then  said,  'Is  it  for  me?'  and  immediately  three  loud 
raps  were  heard.  I  asked  mentally  if  she  could  show  her- 
self to  me.  Immediately  a.  light  appeared  in  front  of  me, 
while  in,  and  apparently  back  of  the  light,  appeared  the 
face  of  the  young  lady  who  more  than  thirty  years  ago 
controlled  my  hand  to  write  the  fact  and  date  of  her  death, 
as  related  above.  As  to  the  identity  of  the  face  I  saw  at 
Mrs.  Drake's  seance  with  that  of  the  young  lady  who  died 
in  New  York,  there  can  be  no  possible  doubt.  And  as  to  the 
identity  of  the  personal  individuality  there  can  be  no  ques- 
tion. In  conversing  with  me  there  she  referred  to  an  inci- 
dent occurring  to  us  when  she  was  in  life  that  was  known 
to  no  living  person  except  her  and  me.  She  briefly  alluded 
to  several  things  occurring  in  New  York,  more  than  thirty 
years  ago  that  were  known  to  us  alone.  While  talking  with 
me  she  placed  her  hand  upon  my  head  and  patted  my  face. 
Several  times  during  the  evening  she  came  to  me,  convers- 
ing with  me,  placing  her  hand  on  my  head  and  passing  it 
down  the  side  of  my  face.  During  this  time  a  bright  light 
appeared  before  Mrs.  Lewis  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  cir- 
cle, and  in  and  back  of  the  light  there  appeared  a  tall, 
stately  figure  with  full  beard,  and  curly  black  hair.  He 
clasped  her  by  the  hand  saying,  'My  wife. '  It  was  the  spirit 
of  Dr.  D.  W.  Whitmore,  her  former  husband,  at  one  time 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  509 

well  known  in  Sacramento,  San  Francisco  and  San  -1 
Holding  her  hand  he  conversed  with  her. 

In  life  the  joints  of  his  right  hand  and  f infers  had 
been  distorted  by  rheumatism,  and  as  lie  clasped  her  hand  in 
his.  she  recognized  it  as  identical  with  that  of  Dr.  Whit- 
more,  which  she  had  so  often  clasped   in   hers  doling  life. 

Others  appeared  to  her  and  were  recognized  as  spirits  of 

departed  friends.  At  one  time  during  the  evening  several 
spirit  voices  joined  in  singing,  and  one.  especially,  imme- 
diately over  Mis.  Lewis'  head,  sang  the  stanza  through,  at 
least  two  octaves  higher  than  any  in  the  circle.  While  Mrs. 
Lewis  was  conversing  with  Dr.  Whitmore,  the  musical 
instruments  were  floating  over  our  heads,  Lights  were 
appearing  in  all  parts  of  the  room,  most  of  those  in  the  circle 
were  recognizing  and  conversing  with  the  spirits  of  depart- 
ed friends,  and  Mrs.  Drake  sitting  in  the  center  of  the  circle 
was  talking,  describing  spirits  and  conversing  with  them, 
and  with  persons  in  the  circle.  And  throughout  the  seance 
her  hands  were  occasionally  held  by  the  skeptics  who  re- 
eeived  most  remarkable  and  convincing  proofs  of  the  ex- 
istence of  spirits  and  their  power  to  communicate  with  those 
on  earth.  The  seance  was  a  most  satisfactory  one.  The 
testa  were  conclusive,  and  there  was  no  possibility  of  collu- 
sion or  fraud.  If  it  were  possible  for  mortals  to  have  du- 
plicated that  seance,  it  would  have  required  double  the 
number   of   persons   in   the   circle   to   have   done    what    was 

simultaneously  enacted  during  the  seance. 

Besides,  there  Mas  no  person  present,  not  even  Mr.  and 

Mrs.  Drake,  who  knew  anything  of  the  spirits  that  com- 
municated with  Mrs.  Lewis  and  myself.  No  one  in  the  cir- 
cle knew  that  Mrs.  Lewis  was  ever  acquainted  with  Dr. 
Whitmore  in  life,  and  much  Less  did  they  know  thai  he  was 
her  former  husband.  Nor  was  there  one  person  present 
who  ever  knew  of  the  young  Lady,  whose  spirit  came  to  me, 
or  that  1  was  ever  acquainted  with  a  lady  by  that  name. 
And  now  in  corroboration  of  the  statement  made  above, 

that  the  Delphic  Oracle  was  an  ancient  shrine  of  spirit- 
ualism. 1  desire  to  saw  that,  at  the  commencement  of  this 


510  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

seance,  and  at  times  during  the  evening,  most,  if  not  all  in 
the  circle,  felt  a  cold  breeze  sweeping  over  them. 

These  cold  breezes  came  in  the  same  manner  that  the 
cold  breeze,  or  as  it  was  called  '  cold  vapor, '  passed  over  the 
body  of  the  Pythia,  after  she  ascended  the  tripod  within 
the  Innermost  Sanctuary  of  the  Temple  at  Delphi. 

In  the  nature  of  things  there  could  be  no  more  con- 
clusive proofs  of  spirit  existence  and  spirit  return  than 
was  given  at  this  seance.  The  evidence  of  sight  was  cor- 
roborated by  that  of  hearing,  and  these  by  the  evidence  of 
touch.  And  this  thrice  corroborated  evidence,  appealing 
to  the  judgment  of  any  one  of  the  persons  present,  was 
corroborated  by  a  like,  attested  evidence  on  the  part  of  the 
nineteen  other  persons  who  were  present.  This  strongly 
corroborated  testimony  establishes  the  facts  of  a  continuity 
of  life  beyond  the  peradventure  of  a  doubt. 

It  cannot  be  refuted  or  nullified  by  any  theory  of 
psychic  influence,  or  mental  delusion.  It  cannot  be  over- 
come by  any  theory  of  unconscious  cerebration  of  the 
brain,  or  by  telepathy.  The  evidence  of  the  continuity  of 
life  is  most  strongly  intrenched  in  the  facts  of  nature  and 
the  immutable  laws  of  the  universe. 

The  scientist  can  no  more  acquire  knowledge  of  the 
continuity  of  life  by  a  study  of  the  laws  and  facts  of 
astronomy  than  he  can  acquire  a  knowledge  of  geology  by 
studying  algebraic  equations.  As  well  might  the  priest  try 
to  compute  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  by  a  study  of  the  doctrine 
of  vicarious  atonement.  In  any  department  of  nature  one 
must  first  obtain  certain  empirical  knowledge  pertaining 
thereto  before  he  can  deal  with  the  problems  involved 
therein.  And  he  who  has  acquired  no  such  knowledge  of 
any  given  department  of  nature  is  unqualified  to  pass 
judgment  upon  any  of  the  problems  involved. 

The  mineralogist  however  learned  in  his  department, 
who  has  no  empirical  knowledge  of  astronomy,  is  unquali- 
fied to  pronounce  judgment  upon  any  question  arising  in 
the  science  of  astronomy.  So  the  scientist,  however  learned 
in  his  vocation,  who  is  without  empirical  knowledge  as  to 


,      CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  511 

the  facts  and  laws  of  spiritualism,  is  not  qualified  to  pass 
his  judgment  upon  any  question  involved  therein.  And  it 
is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  scientist  and  the  churchman 
who  most  strongly  denounce  the  facts  and  the  phenomena 
of  spiritualism,  know  the  least  about  the  subject,  and  are 
the  ones  who  most  persistenly  refuse  to  seek  the  empirical 
knowledge  necessary  to  entitle  them  to  an  opinion  upon  the 
subject,  or  to  pronounce  any  valid  judgment  or  decision 
thereon." 

A  WONDERFUL  MANIFESTATION. 

Mr.  John  Horsham  of  Madison,  Nebraska,  wrote  to 
*the  Progrenwi  Thinker,  one  of  the  ablest  spiritual  publi- 
cations in  this  or  any  other  country,  under  date  of  Novem- 
ber 25,  1893,  concerning  a  seance  held  at  his  home,  as 
follows : 

"There  were  twenty-four  people  present,  the  best  and 
most  intelligent  people  of  our  city.  Among  the  number 
was  a  merchant,  whose  son  had  committed  suicide  by  shoot- 
ing himself  through  the  brain  with  a  pistol.  Of  this  I  can 
positively  assert  the  medium  knew  nothing.  In  her  seance, 
after  she  had  spoken  to  several  and  given  many  good  tests, 
she  turned  to  this  gentleman,  placing  her  feet  under  his— 
as  is  her  usual  custom — both  sitting  in  chairs  fronting 
each  other,  and  Told  him  his  place  of  birth,  his  father's 
and  mother's  name  in  full,  the  number  of  their  family, 
and  the  names  of  his  brothers  and  sisters.  I T is  wife's 
brother  also  appeared  before  him,  clearly  enough  to  be 
recognized,  giving  hifl  name  so  that  all  could  hear.  He 
passed  from  this  life  over  thirty  years  ago.  She  gave  the 
number  of  his  own  family,  and  names,  saying:  'Here  is  a 
young  man  that  went  by  accident.  He  left  a  widow,  and 
a  child  was  born  to  his  wife  after  he  passed  out  Hifl 
nam.'  was  Charles.'  We  all  listened  with  breathless  silence, 
all  knowing  his  greal  Borrow.  The  medium  repeating: 
'There  is  one  who  went  out  by  some  terrible  accident-  n<»t 
a  railroad  accident  He  is  near  and  dear  to  you.  The 
medium  Beemed  to  l"1  confused — when,  under  or  Dear  the 


512  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

medium's  chair,  on  the  carpet,  was  a  loud  explosion,  as 
of  a  pistol,  followed  by  a  blaze  of  light  encircling  Mrs. 
Drake  in  -what  seemed  to  be  a  flame  of  light.  The  smell  of 
powder  was  very  distinct.  The  report  was  loud  and  dis- 
tinct, and  the  flash  plain  *and  bright  to  all.  The  medium 
shrieked  as  though  shot,  and  would  have  fallen  but  for  as- 
sistance. She  was  immediately  controlled  by  a  man  whose 
voice  the  gentleman  recognized  as  that  of  his  son,  who 
gave  words  of  encouragement  to  the  heart-broken  father, 
who  had  already  recognized  him  as  he  gave  his  name.  He 
said  his  brain  had  been  overtaxed  and  he  did  the  deed 
in  a  moment  of  mental  aberration.  He  exonerated  his 
father  from  all  blame,  telling  him  it  was  not  his  fault, 
and  spoke  of  other  family  business  matters.  He  talked 
in  a  very  plain,  audible  voice  for  more  than  five  minutes. 
The  last  words  were:  'It  is  all  right  now,  father,  but  I 
want  to  see  my  wife.' 

Any  one  wishing  the  names  of  the  gentleman  in  ques- 
tion or  of  those  present,  can  be  accommodated  by  writing 
to  me.  The  young  gentleman  was  a  teacher  in  a  college 
in  South  Dakota — being  over-worked  mentally;  he  was 
home  with  his  parents  for  rest  and  recreation,  and  was 
well-known  to  the  writer.  The  medium  could  not  have 
known  anything  of  any  of  the  incidents  I  have  here  related, 
as  she  arrived  in  the  place  at  8  o'clock  that  evening  on  the 
train  and  had  never  before  met  anyone  in  the  seance. 
She  went  direct  to  the  seance  from  the  cars. 

John  Horsham/' 

obsession  cured. 

Among  the  many  experiences  in  the  exercise  of  her 
mediumship  for  the  benefit  of  others  was  one  at  San 
Diego,  California.  Many  people  will  remember  Major 
Knowlton  and  his  excellent  wife  who  lived  at  Los  Angeles. 
The  major  was  formerly  from  Chicago  where  he  was  con- 
nected with  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad  Company  at  the 
time  Mr.  Blackstone  was  president  of  the  road.  He  and 
the  venerable  railroad  man  were  fast  friends.     Major  and 


CONTINl'ITV     OF     LAW     AND     LIFK  .S13 

Mrs.  Knowlton  had  a  relative  who  was  a  prominent  man 
and   city   official    in    Chicago    whom    we   will    call    Mr     H 
Both  families  removed  to  California— Major  Knowlton  set- 
tled in  Los  Angeles  and  Mr.  R.  located  in  that  beautiful 
city  by  the  sea. 

Mr.  R.  had  a  beautiful  daughter  who  was  afflicted 
in  a  manner  most  distressing  to  the  family  and  to  their 
loyal  friends,  the  Knowltons    No  one  could  tell  the  caus* 
of  her  terrible  attacks.     Her  health  was  good.     She  was  a 
beautiful   girl,  bright  and  intelligent  and  about  sixteen 
years  old.    Every  few  days  she  would  have  a  spell  as  they 
called  it.     Eminent  physicians  were  consulted  to  no  pur- 
pose.    They  could  not  diagnose  the  case,  nor  could  they 
afford    any   relief.      All   their   skill,    learning   and   expe- 
rience  could   not   even    approximate   the   trouble   or   the 
cause.    These  attacks  had  continued  from  the  time  she  was 
a  little  child  in  Chicago.     At  times  the  child,  when  in  them 
attacks,  would  destroy  all  of  her  clothing.    At  Mrs.  Knowl- 
ton'a   solicitation.   Mrs.    Drake   accompanied    her    to    San 
Diego  and  met  the  father  and  mother  and  the  girl  in  then 
own  home.     Tier  clairvoyant  vision  soon  saw  the  cans 
the  trouble.     Crouched  in  one  corner  of  the  room  was  th< 
Spirit  of  an  old  Irish  woman,  vicious  and  ugly.     Mrs.  I' 
asked  the  father  of  the  girl  if  he  remembered,  win  i 
a  young  man.  that  an  Irish  woman  wanted  him  to  mi 
her  daughter.     This  woman's  spirit,  she  said,  was  obs 
ing  his  daughter,  who  was  ;i  medium. 

Her  father  remembered  such  a  person,  but  said  there 
was  no  reason  why  she  should  imagine  he  ought  to  marry 
her  daughter. 

"Nevertheless  she  thinks  you  should  have  done  so.  ami 
she  swore  she  would  he  avenged;  and.  righl  well  has 
kept    her  vow." 

"Is  there  no  way  to  prevent  this  terrible  thing,  thai 
has  earned   us  so  tnueh  distress  ami  has  mined  all  our 

ts    and    hopes!"    said    the    troubled    and    distr. 

parents. 

"Yes."    replied    Mrs     Drake,   "surround   your   child 

-  '7 


514  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

with  the  holy  influence  of  prayer  and  put  her  in  charge  of 
some  good  and  powerful  Indian  control.  They,  having 
lived  close  to  nature,  understand  the  laws  of  control  bet- 
ter than  others;  and,  by  laws  knowns  to  spirit,  can  guard 
against  the  approach  of  obsessing  spirits,  when  they  are 
once  endowed  with  authority,  as  the  good  book  says,  'For 
he  shall  give  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee  in 
all  thy  ways.'  " 

Mrs.  Drake  then  placed  one  of  her  hands  upon  each 
of  the  girl's  hands  and  so  strongly  magnetized  her  that 
the  obsessing  spirit  was  not  able  to  hold  her  any  longer. 
An  Indian  chief  was  then  given  charge  of  the  girl  by 
Mrs.  Drake's  control,  Jesse,  by  and  with  the  consent  of  the 
girl's  parents  who  were  members  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

Ten  years  later  this  fair,  young  girl  was  speaking  as 
a  medium  to  appreciative  audiences  in  the  large  cities 
of  the  Middle  West. 

THE    MIDNIGHT    SERENADE. 

Chicago,  111.,  Oct.  20,  1896. 

In  the  winter  of  1894,  while  the  city  was  encased  in 
ice,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  a  visit  from  the  world-renowned 
medium,  Maud  Lord-Drake.  About  the  same  time,  my 
brother,  J.  Murry  Case,  well  known  as  an  inventor  and 
also  as  a  writer  on  occult  subjects,  came  to  visit  me  with 
his  bride  of  a  day.  They  occupied  the  front  parlor,  by 
the  grate  fire,  while  the  medium  had  the  back  parlor — the 
two  rooms  having  folding  doors  between.  The  writer 
slept  in  the  room  above  Mrs.  Drake.  About  midnight  I 
was  awakened  by  a  great  noise  in  Mrs.  Drake's  room. 
The  banjo  was  thumping  against  the  ceiling  (which  was 
under  my  floor)  on  which  a  tune  was  being  played  which 
"No  mortal  'ere  had  heard."  Sweet  voices  sang  a  famil- 
iar tune  with  the  words  improvised  for  the  occasion,  one 
line  only  being  remembered,  which  was:  "To-day  we 
die;  to-morrow  we  smile." 

Mrs.  Drake,  fearing  the  midnight  visitors  might  dis- 
turb the  sleeping  household,  turned  up  the  light,  which 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  515 

they  immediately  turned  out,  again  saying:  "We  have 
come  to  serenade  them,"  bul  aa  she  insisted  they  left  the 
room  and  came  to  my  window,  and  sang  on  the  outside  of 
the  house  on  Michigan  Avenue,  as  any  Berenaders  would 
do,  .-Hid  then  gradually  withdrew.  They  sang  as  they  wenl 
upwards,  the  voices  becoming  fainter  and  fainter  till  they 
were  lost  in  the  distant  ether.  It  was  a  sweet  and  holy 
benediction,  beyond  anything  I  can  describe,  and  I  shall 
always  believe  in  the  reality  of  "Brownies." 

HULDAH  C.  REECE. 
GENERAL  GRANT  AND  THE  REV.  GEORGE  HEPWORTH. 

Few  men  are  better  known  in  any  country,  than  Gen- 
eral U.  S.  Grant,  twice  elected  President  of  the  United 
States,  and  commander-in-chief  of  the  American  army  at 
the  successful  termination  of  a  four  years'  war.  Grant, 
the  silent,  taciturn,  determined  man,  whom  few  under- 
stood, and  few  could  measure.  Cool,  and  always  self-cen- 
tered in  danger;  thoughtful  and  confident  of  ultimate  suc- 
cess; traduced  by  some,  loved  by  many,  he  moved  steadily 
forward  to  the  consummation  of  results  too  grand  and  far- 
reaching  for  his  own  country,  or  the  nations  of  the  world  to 
comprehend.     Rightly  named  the  "Man  of  Destiny." 

The  evolution  of  ;i  government  and  the  evolution  of  a 
man  ;i  Nation  and  a  character  meeting  at  a  common  point, 
when  and  where  one  w;is  aecessary  to  the  other.  Call  this 
accident  t  Oh.  no!  Lei  the  Btudent  read  Gibbon's  "De- 
cline ;m<l  Pall  of  the  Roman  Empire"— that  matchless 
story  of  the  evolution  of  the  civilization  of  the  world  for 

thirteei aturies,   and   note  the  evolutionary   principles 

causing  everythii  icur  in  conformity  with  the  i 

of  destiny,  or  purpose.    Result  ometimes  delayed  but 

never  defeated. 

Macaulay,  the  popular  historian  of  the  Victorian  era. 
deserves  praise  for  his  recognition  of  the  facl  that  things 

<lo  not  happen  accidentally,  but  in  accordai with  fixed 

laws— carrying   its   greal     characters    like   Napoleon   and 
Grant,  like  Gladstone  and  one  martyred  Presidents,  along 


616  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

by  a  force  impossible  to  resist.  There  is  purpose  and  de- 
sign in  all  these  things,  implying  a  Designer  whose  power 
is  absolute.  When  the  Civil  War  between  the  people  of 
the  South  and  the  North  called  out  the  90-day  men,  and 
then,  later  calls  came,  until  the  best  of  the  country  were 
nrrayed  against  each  other;  and,  when  the  war  continued 
until  the  Northern  people  were  impatient  with  Lincoln 
for  delaying  the  Proclamation  of  Emancipation,  it  was 
Beecher  who  said :  ' '  God  dwelleth  in  eternity  and  has  an 
infinite  leisure  to  roll  forward  the  affairs  of  men,  not  to 
suit  the  hot  impatience  of  those  who  are  but  children  of 
the  day  and  cannot  wait  or  linger  long,  but  according  to 
the  infinite  circle  on  which  He  measures  times  and  events. ' ' 

It  was  Carlyle  who  said:  "This  wondrous,  bound- 
less, jostle  of  things"  is  presided  over  by  infallible  and 
eternal  wisdom,  moulding  events  and  directing  man  to  the 
accomplishment  of  eternal  purposes,  and  the  out-working 
of  man's  infinite,  potential,  possibilities.  These  things  can 
be  foreknown,  and  can  be,  and  have  been  foretold. 

Angels  foretold  the  birth  of  Jesus,  the  Christ  child,  and 
they  also  told  Grant,  when  he  lived  at  Carondelet,  near  St. 
Louis,  what  he  should  do  and  what  would  be  the  end.  Be- 
lieving and  trusting  to  such  guidance,  there  could  not  be 
other  than  success.  Lincoln,  knowing  much  of  Grant's 
source  of  confidence  and  strength,  said  of  him,  when  jeal- 
ous rivals  sought  to  criticise :  "I  wish  there  were  more 
generals  like  him."  Grant  did  not  talk.  The  world  was 
not,  ready  to  understand  the  source  of  his  inspiration  and 
power,  his  genius  and  his  destiny. 

It  was  Cicero  who  wrote :  "No  man  was  ever  great 
without  divine  inspiration."  In  this  lay  Grant's  suc- 
cess. Coupled  with  his  silence,  the  dynamic  results  were 
made  manifest  in  Lee's  surrender  and  Grant's  eight  years 
as  President. 

Just  before  the  Grant  and  Ward  failure  m  Wall  Street, 
in  May,  1884,  Mrs.  J.  P.  Newman,  the  estimable  wife  of 
Bishop  Newman  of  the  Methodist  Church,  and  Mrs.  Lord 
called  upon  General  Grant  and  his  wife,  at  their  home  in 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  517 

New  York  City,  she  had  met  the  general  at  the  Centen- 
nial Exposition,  in  Philadelphia,  in  1876,  and  had  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Bishop  Newman  and  Mrs.  Newman  at 

the  Beances  held  for  Senator  Leland  Stanford  of  Cali- 
fornia. They  were  present  at  all  of  the  thirty  or  more 
seances  she  held  for  the  Senator,  at  which  time  Palo  Alto 
University   was  planned. 

.Mrs.  Grant  requested  her  to  tell  what  she  could  clair- 
voyant ly  see  for  the  general.  She  said  she  could  not  see 
very  much,  as  he  had  nearly  reached  the  end  of  important 
events,  except  the  closing  scene  which  would,  in  a  measure, 
be  pathetic.  "I  see  a  long  dark  tunnel  through  which  the 
general  must  pass.  There  is  only  a  little  light  here  and 
there.  At  the  end,  the  way  seems  to  be  strewn  with  ashes. 
Just  beyond  is  a  field  of  daisies.  This  portends  trouble 
and  the  end." 

Mis.  Grant  replied:  "That  cannot  be,  for  we  were 
never  more  prosperous  than  we  are  to-day." 

"While  talking  General  Grant  came  in ;  and.  on  being 
told  of  this  vision,  said  he  could  not  foresee  any  impending 
trouble.  He  then  told  Mrs.  Lord  how,  long  before  the  war, 
his  departed  friends  had  come  to  him  and  his  wife  at 
their  bed-side  and  in  the  night,  in  their  humble  home  at 
Carondelet,  and  told  them  the  great  and  wonderful  things 
that  should  come  to  him;  of  the  war;  its  terrible  loss  of 
life  and  property;  its  devastations  and  desolation  of  the 
lair  South:  and  how  the  integrity  of  the  Nation  would  be 
assured,  placing  it  foremost  of  all  the  powers  of  the  world. 
Mrs.  Lord  described  many  of  the  family  and  friends  of 
General  Qrant  who  were  awaiting  him  on  the  other  side, 
all  of  whom  he  recognized  and  was  glad  to  acknowledge. 
He.  like  the  Rev.  Geo.  Hepworth.  of  HepwoTth  Church, 
New    York   City,   in   whose  congregation   was   found  the 

wealthy  and  influential  <>f  that  great  eity.  and  who  was. 
later,  editor  of  the  \<  u-  )'<>rk  Herald,  was  large  enough  not 
to  deny  his  knowledge  of  spirit  return.  Only  great  men 
are   fearless  leaders. 

The  compiler  of  these  facta  well  remembers  the  reply 


518  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

made  by  this  great  preacher-editor  when  asked  how  it 
was  that  he  dared  to  acknowledge  a  belief  in  Spiritualism. 

Mr.  Hepworth  said:  "Facts  acknowledge  themselves 
—fools  only  deny  them.  Why  should  I  not  admit  the 
claims  of  Spiritualism?  I  am  myself  a  medium  and  will 
demonstrate  this  to  you,"  which  he  did.  At  that  time, 
in  1890,  Mr.  Hepworth  visited  Mrs.  Drake,  whom  he  well 
remembered,  and  said  to  her:  "Do  you  remember  telling 
me  that  I  would  leave  the  pulpit  and  engage  in  other 
work;  that  my  field  of  usefulness  would  be  enlarged,  and 
that  I  would  preach  to  the  whole  world  instead  of  a 
single  congregation ;  and  how  I  told  you  I  did  not  wish  to 
change,  that  I  was  satisfied  with  my  church  and  the 
work  I  was  doing?" 

"Yes.  Mr.  Hepworth,"  was  her  reply,  "and  I  can 
now  see  you  leaving  your  present  position;  and,  I  see  you 
in  a  foreign  country." 

"Oh,  don't  say  that,  for  I  know  it  will  be  so  if  it  is 
shown  to  you.  I  have  now  the  best  and  most  important 
position  I  ever  expect  to  hold.  Great  power  for  good  is 
placed  in  my  hands — greater  than  I  ever  dreamed  could  be 
given  to  one  man.  Do  you  know  that  in  the  pigeon-holes 
of  my  desk  and  filed  away  in  the  office  of  all  great  news- 
papers, is  the  public  and  private  history  of  all  the  living 
great  men  and  women?  The  press  is  a  greater  educator 
than  pulpits  and  schools  combined,  and  is  the  brake  and 
check  upon  the  selfishness  of  men  and  nations.  It  is  the 
pendulum  that  swings  civilization  forward  to  unknown 
results.  It  makes  better  social,  moral  and  industrial 
conditions,  according  to  the  conception  of  its  conductors, 
who,  from  their  vantage  ground,  can  catch  the  gleam  of 
light  in  hitherto  dark  places,  and  can  note  the  evolutionary 
processes  of  civilization." 

In  a  few  months  after  this  interview  with  Mrs.  Drake, 
Mr.  Bennet,  the  owner  and  genius  of  the  Herald,  sent  Mr. 
Hepworth  to  Europe  on  a  larger  salary  and  with  an  open 
commission,  which  position  he  occupied  until  called  to 
solve  the  mysteries  of  the  higher  life,  and  labor  in  a  wider 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  519 

field  of  educatioE  and  ethical  progress.  The  passing  of  these 
two  great  characters— the  soldier  and  the  preacher — oper- 
ating in  widely  diverging  fields  of  usefulness— both  neces- 
sary  Eor  the  accomplishment  of  infinite  and  beneficent 
purposes— emphasizes  the  fact  that  there  is  a  God  in  gov- 
ernments, as  Avell  as  in  religions.  No  comprehensive 
student,  glancing  back  over  the  events  taking  place  within 
the  history  of  these  two  men  and  marking  the  evolution 
of  progress  in  the  field  occupied  by  each,  can  dispute 
this  conclusion.  Conditions  and  circumstances  develop 
the  characters  that  civilization  in  its  evolution   requires. 

EXPERIEN4  K   OF  MRS.   MAUDE  ALBERTA    (LORD)    PARKER. 

My  earliest  recollections  are  so  interwoven  with  spirit 
phenomena  that  as  a  child  I  never  considered  any  manifes- 
tation unusual  or  wonderful.  On  the  contrary  it  all  seemed 
as  natural  and  necessary  as  anything  in  nature.  Spirit 
children,  materialized  and  otherwise,  were  my  companions 
and  playmates.  They  seemed  and  were  as  real  as  other 
children,  although  I  knew  there  was  a  difference.  What 
did  surprise  me  was  that  others  could  not  see  and  hear 
them  as  did  mother  and  I. 

I  will  not  attempt  to  recount  the  many  incidents  of 
daily  occurrence  in  my  early  life  but  will  confine  myself  to 
one  or  two  manifestations  which  were  unusual. 

One  afternoon  in  March  in  18S5  when  we  lived  at  26 
Chester  Park.  Boston,  while  my  mother.  Dr.  B.  F.  Gal- 
Loupe  and  Beveral  others  were  in  the  reception  hall  dis- 
cussing some  nnnsnal  manifestations  thai  had  just  oc- 
curred, the  door  bell  rang  and  Mr.  W.  H.  Brooks  was 
announced.  He  joined  the  party,  and.  although  a  liberal 
thinker,  listened  incredulously  to  the  comments  then  being 
made.  He  said  he  did  not  doubt  the  word  of  any  of  those 
present,  but  thought  there  surely  must  be  some  optical 
delusion  connected  with  all  such  manifestations.  Before 
anyone  could  reply  our  attention  was  directed  to  the  stair- 
way by  raps  on  the  wall.  We  all  looked  in  that  direction 
and  to  OUT  astonishment   saw    a   pair  of  kid  slippers.  lying 


520  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

near  the  foot  of  the  stairs,  raise  one  at  a  time  and  grace- 
fully fall  to  the  floor  at  regular  distances  as  they  ap- 
proached the  stairway.  Step  by  step  they  ascended  the 
stairs  until  they  reached  the  top.  Turning  at  the  landing 
they  approached  a  door  which  opened  and  they  entered. 
My  mother  could  see  the  spirit  wearing  them.  The  others 
saw  only  a  pair  of  empty  slippers  walking  up  the-  stairs. 
Mr.  Brooks  never  afterwards  questioned  any  manifesta- 
tions no  matter  how  marvelous  and  startling  they  might  be. 

One  night  when  I  was  about  thirteen  years  old  I  was 
awakened  by  a  noise  in  my  mother's  room  which  adjoined 
mine.  I  heard  her  speak  requesting  Leotah  or  Snowdrop  to 
go  away  as  she  wanted  to  sleep.  A  little  later  I  heard  a 
ripple  of  subdued  laughter  and  went  to  the  door  to  see 
what  my  little  companion  was  doing.  The  room  was  in 
stygian  darkness,  mother  was  asleep  and  I  whispered  to 
Leotah  and  asked  what  she  was  doing.  Instantly  her  voice 
close  to  my  ear  answered:  "Go  to  bed  and  you  shall  see 
in  the  morning." 

Early  the  next  morning  I  hastened  to  satisfy  my  curi- 
osity. Such  a  sight  greeted  my  astonished  gaze !  My 
laughter  awakened  mother  and  brought  the  whole  house- 
hold to  the  room.  She  was  a  prisoner  in  a  gigantic  cob- 
web. No  spider  ever  wove  a  more  intricate  web.  From  the 
chandelier  to  every  part  of  the  bed  and  to  every  available 
object  in  the  room  thread  was  fastened,  woven  in  and  out, 
up  and  down,  back  and  forth  in  every  possible  direction — 
from  chair  to  chair,  table  to  dresser,  from  the  bed  to  pic- 
tares,  nails  in  the  wall  and  every  projection  and  available 
object  to  which  it  could  be  fastened.  Some  fifteen  or 
twenty  empty  spools  in  the  work-basket  told  the  story  of 
Snowdrop's  night's  work. 

Our  large,  heavy  Steinway  grand  piano  at  No.  26 
Chester  Park,  interested  many  people  with  its  strange  ac- 
tions. When  mother  played  it  would  dance  to  the  music, 
keeping  perfect  time,  raising  it  would  poise  on  one  leg, 
sometimes  on  two;  sometimes  it  would  be  lifted  entirely 
from  one  to  eighteen  inches  from  the  floor.    At  other  times 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AM)     LIFE.  521 

it  would  move  entirely  across  the  thirty-foot  room.   I  have 

Been  six  or  eight  strong  men  try  in  vain  to  hold  it.  By 
invitation,  those  having  faith  would  place  their  hands 
under  the  Iclts  ami  would  feel  it  descend  so  lightly  as  to 
barely  touch  their  hands. 

These  manifestations  occurring  in  the  light,  at  all 
hours  of  the  day,  appeared  to  be  more  satisfactory  and 
convincing  to  many  than  the  mental  phenomena.  Under  all 
those  manipulations  the  piano  was  never  injured  or  made 
out  of  tune. 

While  residing  in  Los  Angeles  in  1889  we  were  enter- 
taining company  at  lunch  when  a  spoon  was  wanted  by  one 
of  the  .guests.  Before  the  maid  could  be  called  a  spoon  at 
the  other  end  of  the  table,  eight  feet  distant,  rose  about 
fifteen  inches  from  the  table,  passed  diagonally  across  the 
table  and  descended  very  properly  and  gently  beside  the 
plate  of  our  guest.  While  commenting  upon  this  incident 
the  table  rose  several  times  about  a  foot  from  the  floor 
without  moving  or  disturbing  anything.  Loud  raps  were 
heard  on  the  table,  on  our  guests'  knives  and  plates  and 
about  the  room.  These  manifestations  often  made  it  ex- 
ceedingly difficult  to  retain  competent  help,  especially 
those  whose  religious  teachings  condemned  spiritualism. 

A  most  remarkable  incident  occurred  to  me  personally 
at  the  Sturtevanl  House  in  New  York.  I  had  just  risen 
and  while  dressing  was  thinking  about  an  article  of  jewelry 
which  I  had  seen  at  one  of  the  stores  and  which  I  wanted 
very  badly.  If  I  only  had  some  money  all  my  own  I  would 
secure  it.  My  attention  was  in  some  way  attracted  to  the 
ceilint:  when  I  saw  an  object  about  the  size  of  an  English 
walnut,  like  a  piece  of  crumpled  paper,  midway  between  the 
floor  and  the  ceiling.    My  med  focused,  without  any 

volition   of   my    own,    upon    this    object    as    it   slowly    de- 
scended to  the  table. 

1  rubbed  my  eyes  to  make  Bore  that  it  was  no  optical 
delusion.  Although  accustomed  to  many  strange,  unusual 
and  startling  manifestations,  I  could  not  believe  that  what 
T   had   seen    was   an   objective   reality— 8   material    thing 


522  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

until  I  placed  my  hand  upon  it  and  saw  that  it  was  a 
new  ten-dollar  bill] 

It  has  always  been  a  mystery  to  me  how  thinking 
people  can  doubt  the  continuity  of  life,  of  all,  or  of  any 
life  manifesting  in  organized  matter,  or  question  the  fact 
of  spirit  return.  It  is  more  easily  understood  than  gravity, 
the  pressure  of  light,  obscure  radiation  or  any  of  the  many 
facts  and  theorems  accepted  and  demonstrated  by  science. 
With  the  exceptions  of  the  last  incident  above  related  these 
manifestations  all  occurred  in  the  light  and  in  the  pres- 
ence of  several  intelligent  and  unprejudiced  witnesses. 
Maude  Alberta  (Lord)  Parker. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


A    MATERIALIZED    ROSE. 


Home,  9:30  P.  M.  Hot  Springs,  Ark..  Jan.  18,  1902. 

Mr.  J.  S.  Drake,  St.  Louis.  Mo. 

My  DeAB  Sir:  A  remarkable  manifestation  lias  just 
occurred  of  which  I  will  give  you  a  brief  outline.  We  were 
discussing  the  subject  of  the  materialization  of  flowers.  I 
asked  Mrs.  Drake  if  any  of  her  controls  could  give  us  an 
opinion  on  the  fact,  or  a  demonstration,  as  it  had  never 
Keen  nay  good  fortune  to  witness  this  phenomenon. 

Those  presenl  in  the  room  were  Miss  Mignon  Logee,  of 
No.  496  Vanderbilt  Avenue.  Brooklyn,  X.  V..  Mrs.  Drake, 
Mrs  Parker  and  myself.  The  room  was  well  Lighted  by 
a  Large  piano  lamp.'  and  a  bright  fire  in  the  grate.  Mrs. 
Drake  was  controlled  by  "Kaolah,"  the  Indian  chief,  who 
told  us  to  get  a  glass  of  cold  water  and  be  seated  around 
a  small  table,  each  to  place  the  left  hand  on  the  table  and 
all  hold  the  glass  of  water  with  our  right  hands  under 
the  table.  We  were  soon  told  to  raise  the  glass  up  over 
the  table.  We  all  saw  that  there  was  nothing  in  the  glass 
hut  water.  Almost  immediately  we  observed  a  white  sub- 
stance,  aboul  a  half  inch  in  diameter,  apparently  in  the 
center  of  the  glass.  This  commenced  to  expand  until 
it  filled  the  glass.  Before  we  were  aware  of  what  was  be- 
ing  done  a  full-blown  rose  pushed  itself  above  the  rim, 
covering  the  entire  glass.  We  took  it  out  and  carefully  ex- 
amined it.  The  rose,  stem  and  Leaves  were  perfectly  formed. 
and  its  beauty  and  fragrance  were  fully  equal  to  any 
naturally   grown    I 

It  was  so  large  it  could  not  be  replaced  in  the  . 
without    crushing.      On    examination   of   the   glass   I   found 
two-thirds      of   the   water   had   disappeared,   and,   as   not   a 


524  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

drop  of  the  water  had  been  spilled  during  this  time,  it  was 
evident  that  the  water  had  been  transformed,  by  Osmose 
action,  into  the  flower. 

Mrs.  Drake  drank  several  glasses  of  cold  water  during 
the  evening  and  her  hands  were  very  cold  during  the  sit- 
ting, and  for  some  time  afterwards.  They  tell  us  that  with 
perfect  harmony  these  manifestations  may  often  be  pro- 
duced. 

We  are  greatly  delighted  with  this  floral  tribute  and 
manifestation  of  the  materializing  power  of  our  invisi- 
ble friends. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Lewis  C.  Parker. 

-  This  rose  was  placed  in  a  vase  and  remained  on  Mrs. 
Parker's  piano  for  more  than  a  week  in  perfect  condition. 
In  fact,  it  lasted  several  days  longer  than  naturally  grown 
roses.  This  materialization  is  strictly  in  accordance  with 
natural  law.  If  the  individualized  force,  manifesting  in  the 
rose  tree  and  operating  in  accordance  with  this  law,  can 
produce  its  fragrant  flower  in  a  few  weeks;  if  the  force 
manifesting  as  a  mushroom  can  perfect  its  purpose  in  the 
dark  of  the  night,  between  two  and  three  o'clock;  and,  if 
all  other  forces,  operating  in  accordance  with  the  law 
unto  themselves,  bring  atoms  into  forms  of  beauty  and  use- 
fulness, why  cannot  this,  greatest  of  all  forces— this  spirit 
that  controls  all  other  forces — produce  these  forms  of 
beauty  at  will,  when  it  knows  the  law  and  its  application? 

A   REMARKABLE    CURE. 

Alameda,   California,  Sept.   1,   1902 
Dear  Mr.  Drake: 

I  am  told  you  are  having  the  manscript  for  a  biog- 
raphy of  Mrs.  Drake  prepared. 

You  know  I  have  enjoyed  her  friendship  for  many 
years,  dating  back  as  far  as  1872  and  I  would  like  to  fur- 
nish one  of  the  many  valuable  experiences  received  from 
her  generous  hands,  as  a  contribution  to  the  immense  col- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  526 

Lection  I  am  sure  you  will  receive,  when  it  is  known  that 
her  life  work  is  to  be  given  to  the  public  in  book  form.  I 
hope  you  will  make  it  a  point  to  use  testimonials  from  thus* 
who  have  shared  tin-  benefits  <>i'  her  most  wonderful 
mediumsliip.  as  every  year  lessens  the  possibility  of  adding 
to  the  record,  which  for  many  reasons  should  be  thorough 
and  complete. 

It  was  in  December,  1891,  thai  Mis.  .Maud  Lord-Drake 
came  to  spend  the  day  with  us  at  Alameda.  "We  were  liv- 
ing with  my  Bister,  .Mrs.  ('.  II.  Weaver,  at  1502%  Park 
Street,  where  she  slid  resides,  and  will  bear  testimony  to 
the  truth  of  the  statement   1  am  about  to  make. 

My  mother.  Mis.  Cynthia  Fowler,  had  been  confined 
to  her  bed  a  helpless  invalid  for  nearly  a  year,  and  had  been 
pronounced  incurable  by  the  leading  physicians  of  the  city. 
She  was  wasted  to  a  skeleton,  her  hair  had  fallen  out.  she 
had  no  use  of  her  limbs— was  obliged  to  be  fed  like  a  child, 
and  her  mental  faculties  were  seriously  impaired.  She 
could  not  distinguish  one  member  of  the  family  from  the 
other,  and  slept  a  greater  portion  of  the  time.  When 
awake  she  was  possessed  of  the  most  distressing  fancies. 
Would  cry  when  it  was  necessary  for  her  to  be  bathed  or 
her  hair  combed  and  insist  that  she  was  going  b  b< 
scalded  to  death.  She  had  passed  her  70th  birthday  in 
June,  and  we  all  felt  she  would  not  live  to  sic  another. 
My  Bister  had  often  said.  "Mother  will  never  be  any  more 
dead  to  us  than  she  is  now/'  When  Mrs.  Drake  came  Bhf 
«lid  not  recognize  her  though  she  had  known  her  well  for 
many  years. 

When  discussing  her  hopeless  condition  with  Mrs. 
Drake,  she  astonished  us  by  Baying  she  could  be  helped  and 

asked  us  all  to  leave  the  room  while  she  treated  her  foi  ;i 

half  hour.  When  Mrs.  Drake  came  out.  sin-  Looked  pall 
and  exhausted  and  was  obliged  to  lie  down  for  an  hour  or 

two.    She  left  us  that  evening  for  San  Francisco,  with  the 

positive  assurance  thai  our  mother  would  commence  at  once 

to  improve,  which  she  did.    In  a  week's  time  slu   was  In  a 

far    more    normal    condition,    slept     less    and    manifested    a 


526  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

desire  to  get  up  and  be  dressed  and  in  two  weeks  her  mind 
was  perfectly  clear,  with  no  recollection  of  anything  that 
had  transpired  dm-ing  the  previous  year  or  more. 

About  this  time  I  received  a  letter  from  Los  Angeles 
from  Mrs.  Drake,  saying  she  had  been  conscious  of  leav- 
ing her  body  every  night  in  company  with  a  band  of 
Spirit  Doctors  and  bringing  special  magnetic  treatment  to 
my  mother,  and  the  sudden  new  lease  of  life  was  apparent 
in  every  way.  Returning  strength  came  rapidly  back 
together  with  increasing  weight,  and  what  seemed  to  us 
particularly  strange,  her  hair  commenced  to  grow  anew,  and 
in  a  year 's  time  was  as  thick  and  heavy  as  it  had  ever  been, 
and  to-day  at  eighty-one  her  hair  is  as  abundant  as  can 
be  found  on  the  heads  of  women  who  number  half  her  years. 
We  regard  her  sudden  restoration  to  health,  strength  and 
reason  as  one  of  the  greatest' miracles  ever  wrought  by  the 
co-operation  of  spirits  and  mortals. 

Just  a  word  more  regarding  Mrs.  Drake's  remarkable 
prophecies  concerning  National  events  that  have  come 
under  my  personal  notice.  I  was  at  her  home  in  Los 
Angeles  in  the  summer  of  1889  and  heard  her  predict  the 
disastrous  conflagration  which  was  to  visit  Seattle;  and, 
in  less  than  a  week's  time,  the  morning  papers  brought  the 
startling  news  that  the  entire  city  had  been  nearly  swept 
away  by  one  of  the  most  destructive  fires  on  record.  The 
terrible  flood  at  Johnstown  she  foretold  in  the  same  man- 
ner while  I  was  a  guest  at  her  home.  Also  the  approach- 
ing tidal  wave  that  carried  devastation  and  ruin  to  the 
beautiful  city  of  Galveston. 

At  another  time,  while  visiting  her  in  1902  I  heard 
her  dilate  on  the  awful  eruption  of  Mount  Pelee  at  Mar- 
tinique—the wholesale  destruction  of  property  and  the 
almost  unparalleled  loss  of  human  life,  which  newspaper 
tidings  all  too  speedily  confirmed. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Mrs.  Sarah  M.  Kingsley. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  527 

EXPERIENCES  OF  ST.  LOUIS  PEOPLE. 

Ti  stimonials. 

St.  Louis.  March,  1903. 
Sometime  in  1876  or  L877  a  friend  of  mine  induced 
me  to  accompany  him  to  one  of  the  seances  given  by  .Mrs. 
Maud  E.  Lord  (now  .Mrs.  Drake)  at  the  Laclede  Hotel  in 
this  city.  I  entered  the  seance  room  an  absolute  stranger 
to  the  medium  and  to  every  one  present  except  the  friend 
whom  I  accompanied.  The  room  was  fairly  well  filled, 
some  twenty  to  twenty-five  persons  being  present.  These 
were  assigned  to  seats  by  the  medium  who  placed  a  chair 
in  the  center  of  a  circle  thus  formed,  for  herself.  At  this 
juncture  she  expi-essed  a  regret  that  there  was  no  guitar  at 
hand,  as  that  instrument  being  light  was  often  used  for 
physical  demonstrations.  Having  a  friend  rooming  not 
over  a  square  away,  who  was  the  owner  of  a  guitar.  1  vol- 
unteered to  get  it,  and  did  so.  Everything  being  ready. 
the  lights  were  extinguished  leaving  the  room  in  intense 
darkness.     Singing  being  suggested,  the  beautiful  hymn, 

•Nearer  my  God  to  Thee"  was  started.  During  the  sing- 
ing  of  the  first  verse  voices  could  be  heard  distinctly,  whis- 
pering to  various  persons  in  the  circle ;  and,  by  the  time  the 
first  verse  had  been  sung,  fully  five  to  six  distinct  voices 
could  be  heard  talking  to  friends  who  recognized  them. 
During  these  whispered  conversations  the  medium  often 
joined,  making  explanations,  and  describing  forms  or  the 
phenomena  as  they  occurred.  Numerous  names,  descrip- 
tions, and  incidents  were  given  by  the  entities  present, 
all  of  them  acknowledged  to  be  correct  by  those  for  whom 
they  were  intended. 

Presently  the  writer  himself,  and.  as  already  stated, 

a  Btfltnger  to  all  presenl  hut  his  friend  who  sat  next  to 

him,  was  called  by  name  by  a  voice,  which  I  fully  identified 
as  a  sister's  voice.  Then  a  brother  came  giving  his  full 
name,  his  birthplace,  the  battle  al  which  he  was  wounded, 

his  being  sent   home  where  he  died.     A  cousin  fullv  identi- 


528  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

rit-d  himself  and  gave  information  of  importance  which  I 
verified  before  retiring  that  night. 

I  left  the  sitting  fully  convinced  that  those  passing 
through  the  transition  called  death  not  only  continue  to 
live,  but  retain  their  individuality;  and,  can,  under  proper 
conditions,  communicate  with  those  still  embodied,  or  bet- 
ter, incarnated.  A  stupendous  fact  changing  the  desired 
and  beautiful  belief  in  immortality  into  a  glorious  knowl- 
edge— and  for  which  I  have  ever  felt  grateful  to  this 
gifted  sensitive.  Of  course  many  sittings  followed  in  the 
course  of  time,  this  first  one— with  this  grand  medium,  all 
giving  additional  proof  of  this  greatest  of  all  philosophies, 
md  answering  completely  and  affirmatively  the  agonized 
cry  of  the  incarnated  human  soul,  "If  a  man  die  shall  he 
live  again." 

Geo.  J.  Kinsky. 

SPEAK    IN    THE    CEYLONESE    DIALECT    AND    IN    THE    SPANISH 

LANGUAGE. 

A  gentleman  highly  educated  along  ethical  lines,  a 
great  reader  and  good  judge  of  men  and  conditions,  whose 
faculties,  or  avenues  of  manifestation  are  developed  far 
beyond  the  ordinary;  and,  who  has  traveled  and  lived  in 
many  countries,  gives  the  following  account  of  his  experi- 
ences and  observations  in  one  of  Mrs.  Lord's  seances: 

''I  had  been  a  partial  believer  in  the  occult  science 
and  had  been  investigating  for  about  three  years,  when  I 
was  fortunate  enough  to  be  one  of  eighteen  invited  to  sit 
in  one  of  Mrs.  Maud  E.  Lord's  seances. 

"This  I  was  more  pleased  to  do  as  it  was  at  a  friend's 
house,  where  I  knew  that  whatever  we  received  could  be 
thoroughly  relied  upon  as  true  and  genuine,  and,  more- 
over, I  knew  personally  all  of  the  people  who  were  present. 

"'Now  to  give  my  own  personal  experience.  I  had  al- 
ways doubted  physical  manifestations  by  spirits,  and,  there- 
fore, I  was  the  one  chosen  to  hold  the  guitar  and  music 
box.  One  was  placed  against,  and  the  other  on  my  knee. 
The  light  had  hardly  been  extinguished  before  Clarence, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  529 

one  of  the  controls  of  the  medium,  in  a  perfectly  clear 
voice  (the  medium,  herself,  continually  talking  to  others 
in  the  circle  and  explaining  what  she  saw  clairvoyantly) 
said:  'You  see.  Cross,  we  can  carry  things.'  The  guitar 
was  then  taken  from  my  knee,  played  upon  and  carried  to 
all  of  the  corners  of  the  ceiling  of  the  room.  This  had 
hardly  happened  before  Snowdrop,  an  Indian  control,  came. 
put  her  hand  on  mine,  and  said:    'Now,  Mr.  Cross,  we  will 

play  the  music  box  at  the  same  time.'  That  also  went  fly- 
ing around  the  room  playing.    All  present  could  hear  both 

of  the  instruments  at  the  same  time.  During  the  even- 
ing there  were  many  of  my  friends  who  had  passed  over, 
who  came,  shook  hands,  called  me  by  my  name  known  only 
to  me  in  my  boyhood  days,  and  I  am  sure  that  not  one  of  the 
eighteen  present  had  ever  heard  me  called  by  it.  They 
also  spoke  to  me  of  things  known  only  to  myself  and  these 
spirit  friends.  They  talked  to  me— not  through  the  medium 
— but  in  independent  voices — voices  that  1  recognized. 
From  that  time  on  I  have  been  thoroughly  convinced  of 
the  immortality  of  the  soul. 

"A  friend  of  mine  who  was  there  had  spent  twenty 
years  of  his  life  in  Ceylon,  and  his  wife,  who  was  with 
him,  had  been  brought  up  there  as  a  child.  Now  I  know 
that  those  two  were  the  only  ones  in  that  room,  and  prob- 
ably the  only  ones  in  America,  who  spoke  the  Tamil  lan- 
guage  and  it  was.  therefore,  suggested  that  he  should 
speak  in  that  language  to  some  of  his  friends,  whom  he 
knew  had  passed  over  while  he  was  on  those  islands  He 
was  immediately  answered  by  one  of  his  former  servants 
in  the  peculiar  dialect  of  the  district  in  which  they  had 
lived;  and,  he  was  reminded  by  his  servant  of  things  that 
had  gone  out  of  his  memory— things  that  occurred  while 
they  were  living  in  Ceylon.  His  wife  was  also  spoken  to 
in  such  a  way  as  only  an  old  and  valued  servant  would 
speak  to  one  who.  as  a  child,  he  had  carried  in  his  arms 
many  times,  and  all  of  this  conversation  was  carried  on  in 
the  peculiar  dialect  and  Language  that  neither  the  medium 
nor  any   one   else   in   the   room   knew  or   understood. 


530  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

"Another  friend  and  his  daughter  who  had  lived  in 
Old  Mexico  for  many  years,  were  asked  to  speak  to  some 
of  his  spirit  friends  in  Spanish,  this  also  being  a  language 
the  medium  did  not  know.  He  was  immediately  answered 
by  an  old  associate  of  his  in  business  who  came,  hit  him  on 
the  cheek  so  that  all  could  hear  the  blow  and  talked  to  him 
in  Spanish  in  an  independent  voice.  When  he  had  talked 
over  many  things  they  had  done  together  in  Mexico^  he 
put  his  hand  on  the  young  lady's  head,  and  spoke  to  her 
in  an  endearing  way  which  he  had  often  used  to  her  in 
life;  and,  as  my  friend  expressed  it,  used  the  Spanish 
language  in  such  a  way  as  only  a  born  Spaniard  or  Mexican 
would  use  it. 

"This  friend  was  a  pronounced  skeptic  up  to  this 
time,  but  he,  like  myself,  after  the  experience  we  then 
had,  have  since  become  firm  believers  in  the  occult  forces 
and  the  glorious  fact  of  life's  continuity. 

Jno.  R.  Cross. 
December  1,  1902.  St.  Louis,  Mo." 

A  NEW  ORLEANS  WOMAN 's  EXPERIENCE. 

When  Mrs.  Eler,  of  New  Orleans,  came  to  Mrs.  Drake's 
seance  at  Lake  Pleasant,  Mass.,  she  had  no  thought  of  the 
realities  of  spirit  life— its  natural,  human  realities— until 
her  daughter's  spirit  came.  The  mother  in  her  charac- 
teristic French  way  nearly  went  into  hysterics  over  her 
daughter's  appearance,  and  the  way  they  talked  to  each 
other  in  French  overshadowed  and  stopped  all  the  other 
manifestations  for  the  time.  The  daughter  was  followed 
by  an  old  negro  servant,  who  nearly  drove  the  old  lady 
wild  when  she  showed  her  black  face.  She  danced  until 
the  floor  trembled,  and  sang  old  negro  ditties  with  some  of 
the  sitters  helping  her.  She  made  funny  speeches  and 
the  New  Orleans  woman  grew  excited.  She  laughed  hys- 
terically and  screamed,  "Oh,  nigger,  nigger,  you  haven't 
grown  a  bit  handsomer!"  The  old  lady  nearly  fell  over 
backward,  out  of  the  circle,  as  she  again  screamed :  ' '  Nig- 
ger,  nigger,  you  black  nigger,  you  haven't  changed  a  bit." 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE  531 

Nothing  could  have  been  raon avincing,  or  more  satis- 
factory to  Mrs.  Eler  than  the  appearance  <>!'  this  faithful, 
old  family  servant  with  her  peculiar  race  characteristics. 

A  DALLAS,  TEXAS,  INCIDENT. 

On  the  evening  previous  to  Mrs.  Drake's  departure 
From  Dallas,  Texas,  the  ladies  of  the  city  were  giving  Lor 
a  reception  a1  the  Windsor  Hotel,  when  a  very  prominent 
citizen  and  attorney  requested  her  to  give  him  a  private 
sitting.  The  ladies,  knowing  the  gentleman,  begged  her 
to  see  him.  She  did  so.  and  the  result  was  told  to  a  re- 
porter in  his  own  words,  as  follows:  "Recently,  before 
Mrs.  .Maud  Lord-Drake  left  here,  1  was  attracted  by  curi- 
osity to  see  her.  As  soon  as  I  was  comfortably  seated,  she 
looked  at  me  and  said:  'You  are  an  old  bachelor.'  That 
was  true.  Ai  her  request  I  took  a  ring  off  my  finger  and 
handed  it  to  her.  She  told  me  that  T  had  had  it  made. 
That  was  true.  She  told  me  there  were  four  people,  all  in 
spirit  life,  standing  around  me.  who  wanted  to  talk  to  me 
—  my  father,  mother,  sister  and  a  little  brother.  I  have 
such  relatives  dead.  She  told  me  their  names  correctly. 
She  told  me  that  my  mother  was  standing  by  me,  crying 
'Oh,  my  sister!  My  Bister!  Poor  sister!  Poor  sister: 
she  has  been  run  over  by  a  train.'  She  added  that  her 
sister's  spirit  was  then  about  to  leave  the  body,  and  that  I 
would  be  notified  of  it  in  the  morning. 

Next  morning  a  Western  Union  messenger  boy  handed 
me  a  telegram.     I  nervously  tore  it  open. 

Rush  villi-:.  Ind.,  Feb.  14.. 

M.  W.  Poundstone,  '-are  of  Kahn  &  Co.,  Dallas:    Caro- 
line is  dead.    Funeral  Thursday,  2  p.  m. 

L.   B.  Gregg. 

That  telegram  staggered  me.     The  death  it  reported 

was  of  my  aunt   Caroline  Doggett,  my  mother's  sister.     She 

had  died  about  the  time  the  medium  reported  my  mother  as 
saying  that  my  aunt's  spirit  was  Leaving  her  body.     L.  H. 

Gregg,    who   sent    the    telegram,    is    my    brother-in-law.      It 


532  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

was  wonderful!  To  say  that  the  medium  guessed,  and 
guessed  correctly,  would  be  to  confess  one 's  ignorance.  How 
did  she  know  that  my  aunt  was  dying  at  that  time?  She 
did  not  know  me,  and  certainly  did  not  know  of  my  aunt, 
nnd  could  not  know  that  my  aunt  had  met  with  an  accident. 
Equally  ridiculous  would  it  be  to  try  to  explain  the  me- 
dium's information  to  me  on  the  theory  of  mind-reading. 
I  did  not  know  that  my  aunt  was  dying  at  the  time.  But 
she  did  die,  and  the  medium  said  that  my  mother  was 
present  and  informed  me  of  the  fact.  Certainly  the  in- 
formation came  from  some  intelligent  source.  It  is  a  law 
of  our  nature  to  believe  so;  otherwise  we  are  bound  to 
believe  nothing,  not  even  the  evidences  of  our  senses.  All 
her  answers  were  correct.  She  described  the  house  in 
which  I  was  born.  She  said:  'As  you  went  around  the 
house  there  was  a  well  inconveniently  located.  Your  fam- 
ily, on  that  account,  had  the  well  closed  up,  and  they  dug 
a  well  on  the  other  side  of  the  house.'  She  told  me  that  in 
the  back  of  the  yard  was  an  orchard  and  an  old  barn,  and 
that  we  had  torn  down  the  barn  and  built  a  wood-house 
there.  She  told  me  the  names  of  my  father  and  mother, 
and  said  that  I  had  been  associated  with  Jews  all  my  life, 
that  I  had  a  sister  married  to  a  Jew,  meaning  my  sister, 
Mrs.  Samuels.  Her  correct  information  on  these  matters 
surprised  me,  but  all  she  said  about  other  things  paled  into 
insignificance  when  compared  with  the  statement  that  my 
aunt  Caroline  was  dying  1,400  miles  away  from  here.  I 
had  never  seen  the  medium,  nor  had  she  seen  me  before 
that  hour." 


When  scientists  are  trying  to  demonstrate  the  truth 
of  materialism,  and  many  are  saying  they  do  not  believe 
in  spirits  communicating  with  the  living,  and  invent  dubi- 
ous theories  to  account  for  such  things,  when  unconscious 
cerebral  action  is  put  to  the  front  for  everything  beyond 
their  established  methods,  what  are  they  going  to  do  with  a 
fact  such  as  the  foregoing,  from  one  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  533 

a  great  state,  from  one  trained  to  exact  statements  and 
cold,  logical  deductions. 

REMARKABLE  CURES. 

An  instance  where  almost  an  instantaneous  cure  was 

brought  about  by  Mrs.  Drake's  Indian  guide,  Kaolah,  oc- 
curred while  she  was  stopping  in  the  old  Sharon  mansion 
on  Folsom  Street,  San  Francisco.  The  house  was  situated 
some  little  distance  from  the  street. 

Mis.    C. ,   a   very    well   known   and   cultured 

woman,  drove  up  and  sent  her  footman  to  the  door  to  ob- 
tain assistance  in  carrying  her  from  the  carriage  to  the 
house,  as  it  was  impossible  for  her  to  walk.  She  greatly 
desired  Mrs.  Drake  to  see  what  could  be  done  for  her. 
Kaolah,  the  Indian,  controlled  and  treated  her  magnetic- 
ally and  gave  her  a  remedy  to  apply  for  rheumatism.  She 
had  been  confined  to  her  bed  for  nearly  four  years,  a  part 
of  the  time  in  a  sanitarium.  All  that  money  and  the  best 
medical  talent  could  do  was  of  no  avail.  She  could  not 
walk  or  stand  without  assistance.  The  family  were  wealthy. 
The  lady  was  unusually  cultured  and  intelligent,  and  her 
affliction  seemed  especially  grievous  to  her. 

The  effect  of  Mrs.  Drake's  magnetic  treatment  was 
magical  in  the  extreme.  Her  strength  and  vitality  were 
restored  to  such  an  extent  that  she  arose  to  her  feet,  and, 
to  her  great  astonishment  and  delight,  found  that  she 
could  walk.     She  went  to  her  carriage  unaided. 

She  returned  home  and  remained  in  bed  during  the 
day  and  did  as  directed,  only  exercising  when  none  of  the 
family  were  present. 

That  evening,  when  her  husband  and  other  mem- 
bers of  the  family  were  present  in  her  room.  she.  having 
previously  dressed,  greatly  surprised  them  by  arising,  walk- 
ing and  even  dancing  before  their  astonished  gaze.  The 
next  day.  when  the  high-priced  physician  came,  she  told 
him  of  the  wonderful  cure,  which  greatly  puzzled  him.  The 
cure  was  permanent,  and  she  never  tires  of  giving  the 
credit  where  it  belongs. 


534  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

While  making  a  call  upon  Mrs.  Shaw,  in  the  city  of 
Waco,  Texas,  a  little  child  came  into  the  room;  and,  when 
Mrs.  Drake  touched  the  child,  she  said  to  Mrs.  Shaw: 
"Isn't  there  some  one  sick  at  the  home  of  this  child?" 
"Yes,"  was  the  reply,  and  she  then  said  to  the  child: 
"Kitten,  run  out  in  the  yard  and  play  until  I  call  you." 
She  then  told  Mrs.  Drake  how  the  child  had  been  sent 
over  to  her ;  that  her  father  was  expected  to  die  at  any 
moment  with  locomotor  ataxia — pronounced  by  the  medi- 
cal fraternity  as  incurable.  "I  can  cure  him,"  was  Mrs. 
Drake's  reply.  Mrs.  Shaw  at  once  ran  over  to  the  house 
and  told  the  family,  and  then  came  back  and  asked  Mrs. 
Drake  to  go  over  and  see  him.  The  ablest  physicians  in 
the  state  said  he  could  not  live.  He  had  lain  on  his  back 
for  three  months,  unable  to  turn  or  be  turned.  He  could 
not  be  moved,  and  could  not  bear  any  noise  in  the  room 
and  could  only  speak  in  a  whisper.  He  was  covered  with 
the  lightest  cotton,  as  he  could  not  bear  the  slightest 
weight.  When  Mrs.  Drake  approached  the  bed  and  leaned 
over  to  hear  what  he  said,  he  asked  her  if  she  believed  in 
God.  "Most  certainly  I  do,"  was  her  reply.  She  then 
passed  her  hands  over  the  bed  but  not  within  several  inches 
of  his  body.  This  was  done  several  times,  he  crying  out  as 
if  in  pain.  Finally  she  was  able  to  touch  him,  and  before 
leaving  he  was  able  to  be  turned  over  by  his  attendant.  She 
remained  in  the  city  two  days  in  order  to  give  him  two  ad- 
ditional treatments— three  in  all— which  cured  him,  so 
that  he  returned  to  his  office  and  his  work.  His  attendant 
physician,  Dr.  B.,  a  man  eminent  in  the  profession,  said  to 
Mrs.  Drake,  "They  tell  me  you  are  going  to  cure  my 
patient  V  "  Yes, ' '  was  her  reply,  ' '  I  will  surely  restore 
him  so  that  he  can  resume  his  office  work,  and  live  many 
years. ' ' 

"Don't  you  think  it  is  audacious  to  attempt  to  cure 
a  disease  that  we  pronounce  incurable1?" 

"If  it  is  audacious,  it  is  Divine  audacity." 

"Well,  if  you  cure  him,  the  medical  fraternity  ought 
to  erect  a  monument  to  you." 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  535 

"It  is  very  nice  of  you,  doctor,  to  say  such  nice 
things,  but  after  I  cure  him  won't  you  say  he  might  have 
recovered  anyway  .' 

•"You  know  the  profession  does  not  like  t<>  admit  the 
efficacy  of  any  methods  outside  of  its  own.  It  even  wants 
to  make  laws  to  prevent  any  cures  being  made  as  we 
make  them.  Possibly  the  recovered  patient  may  want  to 
deny  the  instrumentality  of  the"  spirit  in  his  recovery." 
Such  was  not  the  case,  immediately,  however,  as  a  few 
months  later,  when  able  to  resume  his  work,  he  wrote  two 
very  appreciative  letters  thanking  Mrs.  Drake  for  taking 
him  off  a  dying  bed  and  restoring  him  so  that  he  could 
still  care  for  his  family.  Mrs.  Drake  is  keeping  these  let- 
ters side  by  side  with  a  Letter  he  wrote  to  a  party  in  Angels 
Camp.  California,  some  ten  years  later,  denying  the  source 
of  his  restoration,  just  as  Mrs.  Drake  had  said  he  would 
do.  His  last  letter  was  written  in  reply  to  one  written  to 
him  to  verify  the  prediction  made  that  he  would  deny  to 
Mrs.  Drake  the  credit  for  restoring  him  to  usefulness. 
These  letters  would  look  fine  to  his  ungrateful  eyes  in 
parallel  columns.  Mrs.  Drake  felt  amply  paid  for  her  two 
days'  delay  to  effect  his  restoration  by  his  first  letters 
of  thanks  and  appreciation.  He  never  paid  her  a  dollar* 
for  her  time  and  trouble.  The  medical  profession  is  not 
raising  any  monuments  to  those  who  restore  their  incura- 
ble patients.  As  effect  follows  cause,  there  comes  a  time 
when  all  ungracious  and  unappreciative  acts,  words  and 
letters  will  face  us  to  our  shame  and  humiliation.  Few  men 
are  big  enough,  or  brave  enough  to  be  true  to  themselves 
and  tin'  truth  — when  blinded  by  religious  prejudice— if 
perchance  they  think  the  truth  is  not  popular.  "We  are  all 
eowards  :it  some  time  in  our  1; 

PSYCHICAL    SOCIETY. 

People  interested  in  spiritual  phenomena  and  desirous 

of  invest i'_r;i tine:  it,  hut  who  are  not  quite  strong  enough 
to  openly  approach  the  subject  for  fear  of  criticism,  have 
organized  psychical  research  societies  in  imitation  of  the 


536  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

London  Society  and  its  Boston  branch.  Of  course  the 
learned  people  who  organized  the  London  and  Boston 
societies  were  not  influenced  by  any  such  silly  fears.  They 
gave  their  spiritual  societies  the  name  of  "Psychical  Re- 
search ' '  because  these  words  are  more  in  keeping  with  their 
vocabulary — not  quite  so  common.  The  name  gives  an  air 
of  respectability  to  their  investigations  and  helps  to  make 
them  popular.  The  great  men  who  composed  these  socie- 
ties have  shown  by  their  methods  that  they,  like  ordinary 
people,  were  susceptible  to  suggestion.  They  were  expected 
to  evolve  a  theory  by  which  all  spiritual  phenomena  could 
be  made  referable  to  known  natural  laws  and  be  accredited 
to  the  spirit  still  in  the  physical  body.  In  other  words, 
to  disprove  the  theory  of  spirit  return.  To  prove  a  nega- 
tive proposition,  they  have  shown  themselves  amenable  to 
the  suggestion  of  science  and  ecclesiasticism,  by  trying  to 
refer  all  the  phenomena  to  cerebral  action.  Where  facts 
were  too  stubborn  to  be  thus  disposed  of  they  were  let 
alone.  Upon  this  class  of  facts  these  societies  have  not  yet 
had  time  to  formulate  an  opinion  although  some  of  the 
original  members  are  dead.  These  societies,  may,  some- 
time, receive  the  suggestion  that  time  is  the  essence  of  the 
contract  they  have  undertaken  and  come  to  a  conclusion 
upon  the  facts  that  are  not  referable  to  their  pet  hypothesis. 

In  a  letter  written  to  Mrs.  Drake  under  date  of  Sep- 
tember 20,  1889,  by  Mr.  J.  D.  Featherstonhaugh  of  Schenec- 
tady, New  York,  the  well-known  scientist,  he  says : 

"I  am  mixed  up  in  a  correspondence  with  the  Psychi- 
cal Research  Society  and  it  is  not  at  all  satisfactory  to 
them.  This  society,  it  seems  to  me,  is  bent  on  referring  all 
phenomena  to  a  latent  cerebral  force,  ignoring — almost 
altogether — the  psychical  facts,  which  they  see  would  crush 
their  theories  as  effectively  as  a  goose's  egg  under  a  steam 
roller. 

"In  speaking  of  this  society,  I  am  reminded  that  Mr. 
Richard  Hodgson,  their  corresponding  secretary,  who 
seemed  to  be  more  open  to  reasonable  proof  and  less  swayed 
by  prejudice  than  the  Boston  run  of  them,  albeit  skeptical, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  537 

has  asked  me  for  an  introduction  to  you,  as  he  contem- 
plates visiting  California  the  ensuin  :.  I  do  not 
know  how  far  this  would  be  acceptable  to  you.  and  will 
decline  to  give  him  a  letter  until  I  hear  from  you.  Tie  is  an 
English  gentleman  of  education  and  standing." 

What  are  these  societies  going  to  do  with  the  class  of 
facts  where  articles  of  more  or  less  weight  are  moved,  some- 
times to  considerable  distances,  without  any  human  physi- 
cal contact.  These  scientists  know,  or  should  know,  that 
unconscious  cerebral  action,  or  force,  never  has  and  never 
will  movi  or  produce  an  effect  upon  objects  which  are 
not  in  contact  with  any  person. 

By  far  the  larger  number  of  manifestations  take  place 
where  there  is  no  physical  contact.  Taking  these  scien- 
tists on  their  own  ground  that  all  that  is  told  by  the  hyp- 
notic subject  or  the  medium  in  a  trance  is  cerebral  action, 
it  may  be  well  for  them  to  first  establish  as  a  fact  that 
persons  can  hypnotize  themselves  and  that  mediums  can 
entrance  themselves  in  the  absence  of  the  disembodied 
spirit :  and.  then  account  for  the  information  received 
through  the  mediums  which  transcends  all  thought  and 
facts  possessed  by  the  medium  or  any  other  visible  person 
present.  A  person  cannot — at  one  and  the  same  time — be 
the  hypnotist  and  the  subject;  cannot  be  conscious  and 
unconscious  at  the  same  moment.  Manifesting  superior 
intelligence,  or  any  intelligence,  when  in  an  unconscious 
state,  proves  that  some  other  intelligence  is  aging  the  brain, 
especially  when  the  information  imparted  transcends  all 
that  the  subject  or  any  living  person  presenl  possesses  or 
ever  did  possess,  as  is  the  case  in  nearly  all  instances.  If 
these  scientists  have  nol  the  time,  or,  if  for  any  other  cause, 
they  '1"  nol  desire  to  meet  and  refer  t<>  some  logical  theory 
all  of  these  facts,  they  should  take  down  the  Bign  of  Psychi- 
cal Research  and  '_r<>  oni  of  the  busin 

CLARENCE   PASSES   'Mil     CHERRIES.    \M>   ICED   (3D] 

While  Mrs.  Drake,  Miss  A.  M.  Beecher,  Judge  Dailey, 

ami  his  wife,  were  seated,  .just   ;it   twilight,  in  the  .Iml 


538  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

home  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  a  pan  of  cherries  was  brought 
into  the  room  by  invisible  hands  and  passed  around.  It 
was  not  yet  dark  and  they  could  all  see  the  pan  come  into 
the  room  and  move  up  to  each  of  the  party.  Years  after. 
Miss  Beecher,  writing  to  Mrs.  Drake  in  San  Francisco, 
said:  "Do  you  remember  the  pan  of  cherries  and  the 
iced  cider  that  wandered  about  the  room  at  Judge  Dailey's 
in  Brooklyn;  and,  after  we  were  all  served,  was  finally 
deposited  on  the  table  where  we  were  seated;  and  the  per- 
formances of  various  other  inanimate  objects  without  any 
visible  hands  carrying  them?  These  incidents  are  very 
indelibly  impressed  upon  my  memory." 

A   MURDER   MYSTERY   IN   KANSAS   CITY. 

Mrs.  Dr.  Blank,  who  lived  in  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  came  to 
Mrs.  Drake  for  a  sitting.  She  was  a  stranger  and  did  not 
believe  in  spirit  return.  A  description  was  given  her  of  a 
beautiful  daughter  who  had  mysteriously  disappeared  some 
three  months  before.  The  medium  had  only  just  arrived 
in  Kansas  City  and  had  never  seen  or  heard  of  the  lady, 
or  any  one  of  her  family.  "This  spirit  is  your  daughter! 
You  are  not  sure  whether  she  is  dead  or  alive,"  which  was 
the  fact.     Mrs.  Drake  then  said: 

"You  will  never  see  her  again  in  the  body.  She  says 
she  has  shown  herself  to  you  once  in  your  own  home  since 
she  went  away. ' '  While  the  mother  was  at  lunch  some  two 
or  three  weeks  after  her  disappearance,  she  heard  a  rust- 
ling in  the  hall  and  the  servant  exclaimed:  "Here  comes 
Miss  Bell." 

In  walked  the  missing  daughter,  saluted  her  over- 
joyed mother  and  said:  "Mama,  I  could  not  help  it." 
The  mother  talked  with  her  for  a  moment,  when,  to  her 
surprise,  she  suddenly  disappeared.  They  searched  the 
hall,  the  whole  house,  and  looked  everywhere.  She  was 
gone.  This  was  more  mysterious  than  her  first  disappear- 
ance. 

The  lady  and  her  husband  attended  Mrs.  Drake's 
seance  when  the  daughter  came  and  made  herself  known, 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  539 

so  thai  others  in  the  Beance  saw  and  heard  her.  No  trace 
of  her  body  \v;is  ever  found.  A  Large  reward  was  offered 
The  besl  detectives  wen-  employed.  She  had  left  home 
aboul  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  She  had  put  her  furs 
i  n  over  a  tea  -own  and  stepped  out,  expecting  to  return 

soon.      She    wore    two    diamond    rings.     These    rings    were 

returned  to  the  mother,  but  the  daughter  came  not  again 
as  Ear  as  the  mother's  eyes  could  see.  It  could  not  'be 
robbery.    What  was  it? 

Her  appearance  at  the  lunch  hour,  to  be  seen  and  heard 
by  two  people,  the  mother  and  servant,  could  not  be  a 
delusion.  Dressed  as  when  she  left  home— looking  the 
same,   could   only   be  the  real,  materialized,   visible  pres- 

en. f  the  daughter,  speaking  and  greeting  the  two  at  the 

same  time.  Still  the  father  and  the  mother  doubted,  so 
strong  is  love's  hope. 

Later,  the  daughter  came  to  the  medium  and  told  a 
story  which  the  medium  personally  verified.  She  said  she 
had  left  home  on  that  fateful  night  in  response  to  a  tele- 
phone call  to  keep  an  appointment  at  a  certain  doctor's  of- 
fice from  which  she  never  came  out  alive.  She  told  how  the 
doctor,  when  he  found  the  accident  had  terminated  so 
disastrously,  had  called  in  his  brother;  how  they  had  locked 
the  office  and  gone  to  the  theater  to  be  seen  and  recog- 
nized by  friends;  how  they  had  returned  and  burned  her 
clothing  and  disposed  of  her  body. 

The  medium  went  to  the  doctor  and  told  him  all  these 
gruesome  details.  She  told  him  his  own  wife  and  two  others 
had  died  the  Bame  way.     All  these  details  being  so  true. 

he  admitted   them   nil    and   showed   the   greatesl    contrition. 

His  appearance  shewed  how  much  he  had  Buffered.  He 
said  he  did  not  mean  murder:  that  they  were  accidents; 
and.  ;is  there  was  a  price  on  Ins  head,  he  supposed  she 
would  deliver  him  to  the  officers.  "No."  she  replied,  "the 
courts  would  not  recognize  any  evidence  1  oould  'jive:  ami. 
besides,  T  am  not  here  to  secure  any  reward.  Yon  have 
suffered  more  than  your  victims.  They  are  happy.  My 
spirit  friends  do  not  permit  me  to  hunt  down  the  criminal 


540  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

and  the  sinful.  We  do  not  believe  in  taking  life— taking 
what  we  cannot  return.  All  should  live  out  their  allotted 
time;  should  not  usher  others,  or  force  themselves  into 
spirit  life  until  called— until  their  work  here  is  completed— 
until  character  is  builded  and  rounded  out,  under  penalty 
of  years  of  labor  and  grievous  effort  to  right  wrongs  and 
redeem  self.  Promise  me  you  will  do  these  things  no  more. 
If  you  do,  your  secret  is  safe  with  the  angels,  who  will 
guard,  albeit  the  memory  of  the  crime  will  punish  you. 
You  reap  not  only  what  you  sow,  but  the  increase  in  the 
harvest,  as  well." 

Later,   his  brother  died;   and  still  later,  he,   by  his 
own  hand,  lifted  the  curtain  on  the  second  act  of  his  life's 
^tragedy,  and  entered,  unbidden  into  the  presence  of  the 
victims  of  his  professional   accidents. 

CURES  A  DESPERATE  CASE  OF  INANITION. 

When  visiting  relatives  in  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  Mrs. 
George  Self's  child,  thirteen  months  old,  was  brought  to 
Mrs.  Drake  for  treatment.  From  birth  it  had  never  assim- 
ilated its  food,  and  only  by  the  magnetic  power  of  its 
grandmother,  Mrs.  P.  D.  Drake,  had  its  life  been  held  in 
the  body.  She  had  tried  all  the  doctors  and  specialists. 
She  even  went  to  a  traveling  Chinese  doctor  who  claimed 
great  skill  in  all  difficult  cases.  As  soon  as  she  entered 
the  room  with  the  child  he  said:  "You  take  'm  away, 
me  no  cure  baby  alle  same  dead." 

The  child  was  a  mere  skeleton ;  and,  when  dressed  and 
wrapped  in  a  blanket,  weighed  only  five  pounds.  The 
grandmother  simply  refused  to  let  the  child  die.  Notwith- 
standing what  the  doctors,  and  all  who  saw  the  child,  said, 
she  clung  with  more  than  a  mother's  love  and  faith  to 
the  little  spirit  making  such  a  struggle  for  a  body  and  a 
physical  experience,  so  important  and  necessary  to  all 
human  life. 

She  placed  her  treasure  in  the  medium's  arms  and 
said:  "Maud,  ask  the  spirits  to  save  my  baby.  I  can't 
let  the  dear  little  thine  go." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  541 

Her  prayer  was  answered.  The  child  was  treated 
magnetically;  and.  from  the  hour  of  this  exhibition  of  her 
faith,  commenced  to  recover,  and  is  now  a  strong,  healthy 
young  man. 

PURELY  PHYSICAL   PHENOMENA. 

Those  scientists,  no  matter  in  what  line  their  investi- 
gations have  been  or  now  are,  who  refuse  to  accept  the 
theory  of  spirit  return,  and  who  attempt  to  refer  all  of 
the  phenomena  of  spiritualism,  especially  the  purely  physi- 
cal manifestations,  such  as  the  rap,  the  moving  of  a  table, 
-hair,  or  other  heavy  article,  the  materializing  of  a  hand, 
or  a  body  acting  intelligently,  to  hypnotism  or  mesmerism, 
to  clairvoyance,  psychology  or  cerebration,  are  neither 
scientific  nor  logical.  Those  who  deny  the  reality  of  these 
purely  physical,  spiritual  manifestations  and  accuse  those 
who  assert  them  to  be  facts  of  being  deluded  or  hypnotized 
into  a  belief  that  they  are  real,  only  show  their  own  ignor- 
ance of  the  facts  and  of  hypnotism,  or  mesmerism  as  well. 

No  hypnotist  ever  produced  a  rap  or  moved  an  ob- 
ject by  his  hypnotic  force,  or  by  any  mental  or  psychologi- 
cal influence.  He  may  influence  a  subject  to  rap  or  move 
objects,  or  make  his  subject  believe  he  or  she  hears  the  rap 
and  sees  the  object  move;  but.  let  him  try  to  do  these 
things  by  his  hypnotic  influence-    by  suggestion. 

These  i;ips  come  in  all  parts  of  the  room;  the  chaii-s. 
tahlcs  ami  heavy  pianos  DO   MOVE  without   any  physical 

contact. 

Is   the    room    and    are    these    tables,    chairs   and    heavy 

objecta  laboring  under  hypnotic  hallucination1.'    Equally  as 
ridiculous  is  it   to  asserl  that   rach  painstaking  sciei  I 

^ir  William  Crooks,  Professor  Bare,  Professor  Eenry 
Sedgwick  of  Cambridge,  one  of  the  greatest  of  ethical 
writers;  Professor  Lodge  of  England,  one  of  the  best 
known  mathematicians  and  physicists;  Professor  Barretl  of 
Dublin  University;  Professor  Ramsey,  1-'.  K.  8.;  Professor 
Balfour  Stewart,  tin-  noted  scientist,  were  all  hypnotized 


542  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

into  the  belief  that  chairs  and  tables  were  walking  about 
a  room. 

Who  are  these  people  who  know  so  much  and  have 
accomplished  so  little?  Usually  those  with  only  five  senses 
to  whom  everything  is  false  or  a  delusion  that  does  not 
come  within  their  experience  and  is  appreciable  to  their 
indifferently  developed  senses. 

When  you  ask  them  how  they  became  so  wise  as  to 
pronounce  upon  a  subject  about  which  they  know  abso- 
lutely nothing,  when  such  great  names  as  those  enumerated 
above,  as  well  as  Prof.  Hodgson,  of  Oxford;  Prof.  Hys- 
lop,  of  Cambridge  University;  Prof.  Newbold,  of  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania;  Profs.  James,  Bowditch, 
.Pickering  and  Royce,  of  Harvard ;  President  Seeley,  of  Am- 
herst, and  the  old  professor  of  mathematics  of  the  same 
college — when  Bishop  Brooks,  Bishop  Newman,  of  the 
Methodist  Church;  the  Rev.  Minot  J.  Savage,  of  Boston; 
Rev.  R.  Heber  Newton,  Doctor  Thomas,  of  Chicago;  Rev. 
Mr.  Frank,  of  New  York,  and  thousands  of  other  great 
names,  great  thinkers  in  all  professions,  in  all  the  walks  of 
life — when  you  ask  how  all  these  men  who  have,  after 
years  of  investigation,  accepted  the  theory  of  spirit  return, 
and  have  pronounced  it  scientific  and  a  natural  fact,  are 
so  woefully  deceived  and  how  they  are  so  wise,  they  usually 
get  very  angry, 

"Go,  wondrous  creature!   mount  wnere  science  guides, 
Go,  measure  earth,  weigh  air,  and  state  the  tides; 
Instruct  the  planets  in  what  orbs  to  run, 
Correct    old    time,    and    regulate    the    sun; 
Go,  soar  with  Plato,  to  the  empyreal  sphere 
To  the  first  good,   first  perfect,   and  first  fair; 
Go,    teach   Eternal   Wisdom    how   to    rule — 
Then  drop  into  thyself — and  be  a  fool!" 

It  has  been  truly  said :  ' '  Fools  rush  in  where  angels 
fear  to  tread." 

It  is  true  that  one  person  can,  when  under  hypnotic 
influence,  be  made  to  believe  that  the  table  moved;  but, 
when  you  select  such  men  as  named  above  and  assert  that 
they  can  all  be  hypnotized  to  believe  the  same  thing,  or 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  543 

that  a  whole  seance  composed  of  ten  or  twenty  people  have 
all   simultaneously   <_rone   mad   upon   the  same  subject,   the 

•  ti. m  only  stamps  the  out1  making  it  as  a  fool. 

Such  people  are  often  met  in  the  seance  room.  Infi- 
nite wisdom  has  not  yet  defined  any  reason  for  their  pres- 
ence in  the  seance,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  they  are  sometimes 
found  there  —  possibly  they  are  there  to  catch  the  medium, 
or  inform  and  instruct  those  present  how  the  phenomena  is 
produced.    They  feel  fully  competent  to  do  either  or  both. 

MATERIALIZATION".  SCIENTIFIC  AND  NATURAL. 

In  seances  composed  of  those  who  do  not  comply  with 
essential  conditions,  or  of  those  whose  presence  destroys 
conditions,  very  much  of  the  material  used  by  the  spirit  in 
clothing  its  hands  and  form  with  matter  so  as  to  make  it 
appreciable  to  the  senses  of  those  present  is.  by  the  pi- 
of  exosmosis  and  molecular  attraction,  taken  from  the 
medium  by  the  use  of  magnetic  force  generated  by  the 
vital  chemistry  of  the  medium.  Where  those  present  are 
all  harmonious,  in  all  that  is  meant  by  harmony,  and  the 
condition  satisfactory,  much  of  this  force  and  material  is 
taken  from  the  others  and  much  is  taken  from  atoms  and 
Gprpuseles  in  the  atmosphere.  Any  violent  disturbance 
of  the  forces  sends  this  matter  and  the  abstracted  nerve 
particles  back  to  the  medium  with  a  force  akin  to  a  blow. 
The  act  of  grabbing  materialized  hands,  or  forms,  sends 
out  a  magnetic  force  similar  to  the  force  used  in  drawing 
those  nerve  atoms  from  the  medium.  This  force  disinte- 
grates the  matter  and  sends  it  back  along  magnetic  lines  to 
the  medium's  body,  making  mediums  feel  — after  the 
seance  is  over — as  though  they  had  been  picked  to  pieces 
and  indifferently  put  together  again.  Could  these  materi- 
alized hands  he  followed  up  they  would  seem  to  lead  direct- 
ly to  the   medium's  body,   n ssarily   bo,  as  the  matter 

with  which  they  are  clothed  must  be  returned.  Tn  such 
seances  tin-  mediums  feel  as  though  arms  extended  from  all 
parts  of  their  bodies.  The  returning  atoms,  less  the  nerv- 
ous fore.',  makes  them   feel   as  though  hammered  by   i] 


544  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

sant  blows  from  which  it  sometimes  takes  days  to  recover. 
Added  to  this  is  the  effect  of  mental  vibrations  which,  if 
angular,  produce  a  disastrous  effect.  Many  who  are  not 
mediums,  sense  and  feel  these  vibrations. 

Test  conditions  in  these  seances,  where  voices  are 
heard,  hands  are  felt,  and  seen,  show  that  there  is  no  tangi- 
ble, material  body  back  of  the  hands  or  the  voices.  Only 
so  much  material  is  taken  on  as  will  produce  the  contem- 
plated results.  The  hands  have  weight  and  strength;  move 
with  positive  and  definite  intelligence  and  comply  with 
verbal  and  mental  requests.  The  voices  have  volume,  a 
wide  range,  modulation,  pitch,  and  distinctive  expression  — 
most  essentially  human,  replying  to  audible  and  mental 
Questions  with  intelligence  transcending  that  of  any  one 
present.  Sometimes  faces  are  shown  in  lights  which  are 
described  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Such  faces  are  usually 
recognized  by  those  to  whom  they  come.  A  voice  always 
accompanies  the  face,  issuing  from  the  moving  lips  of  the 
face.  Forms  are  very  frequently  shown  dressed  in  cloth- 
ing remembered  and  recognized  by  those  to  whom  they 
come.  Not  only  by  one  person  but  by  several — sometimes 
twenty  or  more,  at  the  same  time. 

At  a  seance  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  James  Freil,  in 
Lafayette,  Colorado,  with  twenty-four  people  present:  in  a 
room  securely  locked  and  sealed  against  all  outside  intru- 
sion, a  large  form  dressed  in  white  and  standing  just  out- 
side of  the  circle  appeared  and  remained  long  enough  to 
be  plainly  seen  by  the  medium  and  all  the  others. 

In  nearly  every  case,  these  hands,  forms  and  faces  are 
felt  and  seen  by  those  in  the  circle  when  the  medium  is 
engaged  in  talking  to,  or  describing  for  others  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  room,  for  in  all  genuine  manifestations 
it  is  usually  the  unexpected  that  takes  place.  Anxiety,  on 
the  part  of  the  medium,  or  those  in  attendance — in  other 
words,  positive  mental  vibrations  interrupt  the  operations, 
or  so  modify  the  forces  used  as  to  prevent  the  results  so 
earnestly  desired.  Harmony  and  the  absence  of  vibra- 
tions are  desirable,  unless  it  be  rhythmical  vibrations  pro- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  545 

ductive  of  harmony.  In  these  seances,  in  order  t<>  have  the 
spirit  voice  join  in  the  singing,  the  tune  must  be  at  the 
highest  possible  pitch  and  then  the  spirit  voice  is  half  an 
octave  or  more  higher  than  those  singing. 

This  question  of  materializations  seems  to  embrace 
the  most  delicate  and  subtle  laws  of  chemistry,  both  analyt* 
ical  and  synthetical,  as  well  as  the  whole  range  of  mental 
and  physical  vibration;  negative  conditions  and  harmon- 
ious mental  and  spiritual  vibrations  being  the  most  essen- 
tial. Considering  the  difficulties  to  be  encountered,  on  ac- 
count of  the  ignorance,  prejudice,  and  average  stupidity 
of  the  public  in  such  matters,  it  is  a  wonder  that  any 
materialization  is  possible.  Interfere  with  any  of  the  ni 
sary  conditions  in  a  laboratory  or  workshop,  in  electrical 
appliances,  in  photography,  in  the  navigator's  chronometer, 
in  any  of  the  mechanical  arts  and  seriously  expect 
favorable  results — and  you  would  at  once  be  considered  a 
proper  subject  for  the  feeble-minded  asylum.  Yet,  such 
people  are  permitted  in  the  seance  room,  where  the  most 
intricate  and  delicate  operations  are  expected  and  the 
most  subtle  forces  and  combination  of  forces  are  handled— 
forces  so  delicate  that  science,  while  it  recognizes  their 
effect,  has  so  far  failed  to  be  able  to  weigh  and  measure 
them. 

At  the  fifty-second  anniversary  of  the  American 
Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science,  held  in  "Wash- 
ington. D.  C,  in  1902,  the  retiring  president,  Asaph  Hall, 
said   of  these  forces: 

''There  are  finer  forces  in  the  universe  than  any  yet 
detected.  There  seems  to  be  a  flux  and  flow  throughout 
nature,  exchanges  of  refined  energy  and  a  universal  cir- 
cuit of  activity.  This  undiscovered  entity  may  be  higher 
than  pressure  of  light  or  even  than  gravity." 

This  refine. 1  energy  winch  these  scientists  hope  to 
"detect."  weigh  and  measure:  individualized  in  the  human 

organism;  personalized  by  its  organic  experience  by  its 
action  and  reaction,  is  LIFE.  Clothed  again  in  sub- 
limated matter  from  its  first  organized  form  in  its  f i r-t 

-  IS 


54G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

conscious  stage  of  existence ;  maintaining  its  acquired  indi- 
viduality and  personality  in  a  second  stage,  is  SPIRIT. 
Not  yet  "detected"  by  science,  it  is  "higher  than  the 
pressure  of  light  or  even  than  gravity,"  and  is  known  and 
measured  by  its  manifestations  through  matter  in  both 
demonstrable  stages  of  its  individualized  existence. 

The  distinguished  scientist  himself  gives  the  reason 
why  he  and  his  contemporaries  have  not  "defined"  this 
force  in  the  universe,  when  he  asserted,  as  he  did,  before 
the  association,  that  dogma  was  the  most  gigantic  evil  in 
the  world.  He  stated  that  "dogmatism  was  destructive 
of  mind  (intelligence)  ;  and,  of  all  evils  in  the  world,  is 
the  most  vicious — scientific  dogma  being  the  worst.  He 
said  it  was  due  to  science  to  so  enlighten  the  world  that 
ignorance  shall  vanish.  This  is  a  consummation  that  all 
will  gladly  hail.  The  opinion  of  even  one  scientific  man 
upon  any  theory  is  of  more  value  than  that  of  a  hundred 
ignorant  people  who  are  incapable  of  fairly  considering 
established  facts.  It  is  surprising,  however,  that  these 
scientists  hold  with  dogmatic  persistency  to  false  ideas  for 
fear  they  will  come  in  contact  with  a  JEHOVAH  in  the 
universe.  As  long  as  they  confined  themselves  to  cathode 
rays  and  potential  forces,  and  kept  strictly  to  material 
that  can  be  "detected,"  weighed  and  measured— their  prin- 
ciples and  theories  apply. 

When  Professor  Crooks,  a  spiritualist,  comprehend- 
ing and  experimenting  with  spiritual  forces  made  it  possi- 
ble to  demonstrate  the  existence  of  kinetic  rays— the  same 
rays  that  Sir  William  Thompson  demonstrated  by  mathe- 
matical analysis,  at  Harvard  College  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago— rays  that  have  little  potential 
force—  a  straight  line  energy,  instead  of  vibratory— he  gave 
their  theory  concerning  either  a  jostle  from  which  they 
have  not  recovered. 

These  facts,  as  well  as  the  facts  of  spirit  phenomena 
stand;  and,  our  scientists  must  cease  to  be  dogmatic,  and 
must  revise  their  theories.  The  revision  must  recognize 
that  ether  is  something  more  than  a  highly  elastic  fluid, 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  547 

rilling  all  space  and  the  interstices  of  all  matter  with  .1 
pressure  of  a  thousand  tons  to  the  inch,  in  order  to  account 
for  these  straight  line  rays. 

This  revision  must  recognize  radiant  energy,  individ- 
ualized and  endowed  with  intelligence  in  order  to  account 
for  the  tacts  of  spirit  phenomena.  These  facts  have  come 
with  all  their  relations  to  remain.  They  demand  classifi- 
cation and  reference  to  some  logical  theory. 

ALL  LIFE  IS  [NDIVroUAIJZED. 

Will  our  scientists  account  for  tin-  infinite  variety  of 
individual,  living  forms  wherein  matter  is  built  up  and 
sustained  in  defiance  of  gravity,  used  in  defiance  of  the 
chemical  laws  which  they  recognize  and  accept  as  absolute: 
and.  wherein  oilier  forces  air  accelerated,  retarded  and 
used  in  the  economies  of  these  forms  .'  What  is  it  that 
builds  corn  from  corn  and  wheat  from  wheat  with  unerring 
certainty  .'  What  is  it  that  selects  atoms  from  a  common 
source  and  arranges  them  side  by  side  in  the  stately  pine 
and  the  sturdy  oak?  What  is  it  that  plucks  from  earth  its 
products  and  erects  the  horse  and  the  ox?  What  is  it  that 
fills  the  waters  and  the  air  with  living  forms,  each  of 
its  individual  kind?  What  is  it  that  creates  the  form  of 
man  different  from  all  these  infinite  varieties  ami  num- 
ber of  forms'  What  is  it  that  permits  man  alone  to 
check  the  fleet-footed  of  the  prairies,  to  ia\  his  hand  upon 
the  savage  of  the  forests,  to  lure  from  th.   Bea  ami  grasp 

from  tie-  air  all  forms  needed  to  build  his  form.,  to  pre- 
pare ami  put  in  condition  atoms  to  lie  used  in  building 
and  perfecting  his  own  organization  .'  What  is  it  that  en- 
ables him  to  command  and  use  all  the  forces  of  nature  for 
his  pleasure  ami  profit  I  Can  */'/  of  this  infinite  variety  and 
number  of  forms  be  referred  to  my  other  theory  than  that 
these     forces    are    each     individualized     from    ami     for    all 

time.1     Each   manifests  in   its  appointed   way.  in  co-evmJ 

and  C0-existen1  matter— matter  with  its  inherent  positive 
and   negative  conditions  essential   to  the  manifestation  of 


548  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

force,  without  which  none  of  these  forces  can  manifest 
and  none  of  these  forms  could  be. — Dei  plena  sunt  omnia. 
If  we  accept  La  Place's  nebulous  theory  of  the  for- 
mation of  our  planet,  reason  demands  a  beginning  for 
each  individual  form.  As  it  is  readily  recognized  that 
conditions  are  absolutely  necessary  for  any  force  to  mani- 
fest, and,  that  matter  does  possess  positive  and  negative 
conditions — the  father  and  mother  qualities — action  and 
reaction — it  cannot  be  denied  that  placing  our  planet  back, 
or  forward,  to  the  proper  condition  for  sustaining  life, 
that  these  individualized  forces  that  have,  as  Fechtner 
dreamed,  always  existed  and  have  always  adapted  them- 
selves to  all  conditions  of  temperature,  would  repeat  the 
evolutionary  process  from  the  uni-cell  to  man.  It  is  certain 
that  combinations  of  these  one-cell  things,  under  proper 
conditions  and  proper  environment  result  in  living  things. 
But  from  whence  comes  the  life?  The  combination  only 
makes  it  possible  for  the  life  to  manifest.  Those  who 
assert  that  such  combination  produces  life  assert  too  much. 
Their  experiments  have  only  pushed  the  solution  back 
one  step. 

The  noted  scientist  in  the  great  University  of  Cali- 
fornia, who  is  making  conditions  for  the  lower  forms  of 
sea  life  to  hybridize,  is  on  the  right  track  Let  him  make 
conditions  and  then  put  his  laboratory  in  condition  to  de- 
tect, catch  and  apply  the  right  individual  force  and  he 
will  have  "lifted  the  veil  of  Ms,"  and  given  the  world  a 
new  "Steele  d 'or"— golden  age  of  science. 

This  force  in  the  seed,  which  may  be  latent  for  thou- 
sands of  years  waiting  for  conditions,  has  puzzled  the 
scientist  since  man  began  to  think.  The  force  that  uses 
other  forces,  that  draws  to  itself  atoms,  prepares  and 
places  them  in  forms  of  its  own,  in  accordance  with,  or  in 
defiance  of  other  forces,  doing  its  work  in  its  appointed 
way;  and,  when  other  forces  intervene  to  mar  or  change, 
persists  until  it  overcomes  the  interference,  must  have  an 
individuality  co-existent  with  itself  and  its  means  of  mani- 
festing. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  549 

]>.>  the  scientists  in  our  great  universities  and  those 
who.  like  the  American  Association,  have  assembled  fifty- 
tun  times  and  haw  oot  yet  "detected,"  weighed  or  meas- 
ured these  forces,  expect  to  do  so  without   revising  their 

old  materialistic  theories,  or  accepting  other  theories?  Can 
tiny  successfully  question  thai  this  is  an  individual  force 
operating  in  the  human  organism;  that  its  personality  is 
acquired  by  its  organic  experience — by  its  action  and  re- 
action—and that  it  is  life.7  Can  they  deny  that,  clothed 
again  in  a  refined,  sublimated  matter,  from  its  first  or- 
ganized form  in  its  first  conscious  stage  of  manifesta- 
tions: and.  maintaining  its  individuality  and  acquired  per- 
sonality in  its  second  stage  of  manifestation,  it  is  spirit? 
This  force  and  all  force  is  measured  and  estimated 
by  its  manifestation  through  matter.  In  what  other  way 
do  they  expect  to  "detect"  this  radiant  energy  that  they 
so  persistently  ignore  the  facts  presented— facts  that 
cannot  be  referred  to  any  of  their  accepted  theories?  Why 
afraid  of  the  theory  of  spirit  return?  If  scientific  dogma 
will  not  permit  them  to  diverge  from  material,  then  by 
what  scientific  formula  can  they  account  for  the  purely 
physical  spirit  phenomena:  and,  by  what  theory  can  they 
account  for  the  facts  that  one  or  more,  and.  in  many  cases, 
a  half  dozen  mental  requests  made  by  different  people, 
and  all  at  the  same  time,  are  registered  and  performed 
with  absolute  accuracy  and  precision,  in  the  Light  or  dark, 
as  is  done  in  Mrs.  Drake's  seances'  Possibly  it  may  help 
them  to  be  assured  that  spirit  form  is  substance.  This 
individual  force  called  man  requires  some  quality  of  mat- 
ter in  ;ill  Stages  of  existence  in  order  to  manifest.  It  is 
difficult  to  conceive  of  force  independent  of  matter,— to 
comprehend,  as  some  are  pleased  to  claim,  that  matter  is  a 
manifestation  or  condition  of  force  —  that  "man  can  think 
without    a   brain." 

All  schools  of  philosophy  have  concurred  in  the  per- 
sistency and  eternity  of  matter  or  of  that  which  consti- 
tutes the  visible  world  around  us,  especially  the  Qreek 
philosophers.      Demoeritus    taught    that    it    was    intelligent 


550  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

in  some  of  its  corpuscles,  and  not  intelligent  in  others. 
Plato  and  Aristotle  taught  that  it  was  sometimes  intelli- 
gent as  a  whole  and  non-intelligent  in  its  parts.  The  Epi- 
curian  philosophy  asserted  that  it  was  sometimes  unin- 
telligent in  all  of  its  parts  and  atoms.  No  school  has  ever 
taught  that  "something  from  nothing  comes/'  As  Lucretius 
says : 

"Admit  this  truth,  that  naught  from   nothing   springs 
and  all  is  clear." 

The  Greeks  received  this  from  the  East  where  it  was 
a  distinct  doctrine  of  the  Bahminical  religion.  The  per- 
sistency of  matter  is  as  much  of  a  scientific  fact  as  the 
persistency  of  force.  An  atom  of  radium  with  its  inherent 
force  and  an  electron  of  hydrogen  gas  are  as  real  and  per- 
sistent as  any  fraction  of  force.  The  clairvoyant  eye 
detects  the  form  and  shape  of  the  severed  limb,  the  same 
as  the  camera  detects  reflections  from  matter  invisible  to 
ordinary  eyes,  and  when  the  unfortunate  gets  through  with 
the  balance  of  his  physical  body  he  steps  into  spirit  life 
with  the  whole  spirit  body  complete.  Where  does  he  recover 
the  severed  limb,  if  he  did  not  always  have  it? 

Facts  are  also  as  persistent  as  matter  and  force.  Nor 
are  they  waiting  on  our  scientists  for  reference  to  their 
accepted  theories.  Theories  must  give  way.  All  of  the 
facts  contained  in  these  pages  are  exactly  as  stated.  What 
are  scientists  going  to  do  with  them?  Ask  for  more 
time,  as  our  legal  friend  does  when  conscious  of  losing 
his  case?  Take  all  the  time  you  desire,  gentlemen.  Mean- 
time, people  who  are  not  scientists  and  who  are  not  afraid 
of  the  deductions  of  their  own  logic,  will  pronounce,— 
as  they  have  already  done,— upon  the  question  of  spirit 
return. 

LEX    HEREDITAS. 

The  claim  is  broadly  made,  by  some  popular  writers, 
that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  hereditary  law;  that  all  so- 
called  hereditary  traits  are  the  result  of  thought:  that 
thought  builds  body  as  Avell  as  character;  builds  the  body 
—the  instrument  through  which  the  spirit  operates— in  all 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE  561 

<>!'  its  innumerable  forms  ;ui<l  determines  its  quality.  They 
recite  the  accepted  statement  thai  nature's  laws  are  ac- 
curate and  unchangeable  in  their  operations,  and  thai  the 
races  do  nol  show  absolute  and  fixed  results,  excepting  in 
so  far  as  the  individuals  of  the  rape  think  along  common 
lines.  As  they  think  so  will  they  eat,  drink,  live  and  act 
As  the  father  and  mother  think  so  is  the  son  and  daughter, 
even  to  the  stamping  of  form  and  feature  upon  the  off- 
spring, hence,  this  hereditary  theory.  No1  only  are  forms 
;m<l  features  created  but  politics,  religions  and  habits  are 
impressed  upon  prenatal  matter,  principally  by  maternal 
thought  modified  by  externa]  thought  according  to  its  con- 
centration and  potency.  Accepting  their  statement  of  the 
law  as  they  make  it.  and  applying  it  as  it  should  be  applied, 
individuals  are  creators  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word. 
If  this  is  true  we  are  dealing  with  a  law  and  a  force 
potent  for  grand  and  beneficent  results,  or  fraughl  with 
dangerous  consequences. 

The  claim  is  unhesitatingly  made  by  other  thinkers; 
and,  by  common  consent  accepted  by  the  public,  that  hered- 
ity is  law.  Both  theorists  travel  along  parallel  and 
Dearly  similar  lines  and  use  much  the  same  facts  and  illus- 
trations in  proof  of  their  claims.  Both  recognize  the 
primum  mobiU  of  organic  life,  and  a  universal  force  vibrat- 
ing in  all  atoms.  The  former  relegates  all  physical  and 
mental  traits  to  spirit  fore.-  operating  through  matter — 
attributing  all  to  thought. 

The    latter    ; cpl    the    .Memlelian    laws    of    heredity;* 

ami.  while  granting  the  potency  of  thought,  add  to  their 


•NOTE — .Meinid's  laws  of  heredity,  ns  now  taught  ami  un- 
derstood at  Harvard  [Jniversltj  arc  in  brief  as  follows:  "That 
individuals  of  the  first  hybrid  generation  are  all  of  on.'  type, 
provided  the  parent  races  are  <>t  pure  stuck.  Hut  in  the  i).  \t 
generation  three  combination  types  are  possible.  The  first  will 
inherit  all  the  characteristic  traits  <>f  the  paternal  grandparent, 

and    will   prodiu ffspring  oi    exactly   similar   stamp   ever   after- 

wards.  unless  crossed  again.  The  second  will  inherit  the  ma- 
ternal ancestor's  characteristics  and  br 1  true  to  her  char- 
acter, while  the  third  will  consist  of  hybrids  similar  to  the  first 
hybrid    generation.' 


552  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

categories  the  differentations  of  universal  energy.  In 
explanation  of  their  law  they  claim  that  each  atom  mole- 
cule and  mass  has  a  positive  and  negative  pole,  and,  when 
used  once  and  repeatedly  in  a  certain  matrix,  or  form, 
acquires  a  polarity,  or  "ensphering"  force  to  which  it  is 
ever  after  largely  subject;  modified,  it  may  be,  and  is,  by 
other  forces  and  conditions,  preventing  rigidity  and  abso- 
lute types,  thus  making  evolution  and  progress  the  law. 
This  latter  class  claim  that  matter  once  subject  to  this 
cosmic  law,  when  disintegrated  and  left  to  itself,  will, 
under  proper  negative  conditions,  return  to  old  forms; 
that  the  six-sided  prisms  reduced  to  atoms  will  resume 
the  six-sided  form ;  that  the  ashes  of  the  rose  leaf  will 
form  into  the  shape  of  that  leaf;  and  that  race  and  family 
forms  reassert  themselves,  into  the  third  and  fourth  gen- 
erations, when  thought  of  these  forms  has  no  place  in  their 
formation.  These  experiments  with  matter  must  neces- 
sarily be  conducted  with  the  same  care  and  nicety  that 
Nature  uses,  as  this  force  is  the  most  subtle  and  delicate 
and  may  be  latent.  They  reason  that  as  from  wheat  to 
wheat ;  corn  to  corn ;  seed  to  plant  and  tree ;  each  gathering 
atoms  from  a  common  source  and  arranging  them  accord- 
ing to  particular  and  established  forms;  that  all  hybrids 
return  to  original  stocks ;  that  the  seed  of  the  grafted  fruit 
produces  the  original  tree,  all  of  which  demonstrates  the 
persistency  of  individualized  force,  and  of  established 
polarity.  They  poetically  call  this  manifestation  of  force 
"the  atom's  love"— that  atomic  and  molecular  affinity 
which  calls  atoms  together  into  forms  of  its  kinds  and  polar- 
ity, augmented  and  intensified  by  frequent  use,  until 
the  soul  of  matter  is  thus  established  with  seeming  intelli- 
gence. Who  has  not  noted  that  the  colorless  liquid  of 
bottled  essence  is  stronger  at  the  time  of  year  in  which 
the  flowers  from  which  it  is  extracted  are  in  bloom;  and, 
that  when  these  flowers  fade  the  potency  of  the  perfume 
is  lessened  in  strict  agreement  with  Nature's  time  and 
process?  No  matter  how  many  combinations  it  has  under- 
gone ;  no  matter  how  much  time  may  have  passed,  when  the 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE. 

flowers  of  its  kind  bloom  the  essence  exhibits  t his  won- 
derful sympathy,  this  "atomic  affinity"  which.  being  once 
established,  always  18 — this  cosmic  is  the  law  that  creates 

planets  and  all  living  things— a  subtle  and  inviolable  law 
of  spirits  and  of  atoms. 

This  perfume  embodied  in  its  liquid  matter  maintains 
its  individualized  identity;  and,  shall  human  sympathy— 
'"human  love"— be  counted  less  lasting,  less  persistent  1 
Then  must  all  scientific  axioms  be  false  and  delusive.  They 
call  this  law  of  persistency  and  reproduction  the  law  of 
heredity— a  condition  of  matter  and  not  of  spirit. 

Thus  reasoning,  why  not  from  parent  to  child,  pro- 
ducing form  and  shape  as  in  animals  where  thought  is 
not  supposed  to  play  any  important  part,  modified  in  the 
child  as  to  quantity  and  quality  of  brain  by  the  positive, 
potential,  ensphering  force  of  each  polarized  parent  atom: 
and.  overshadowing  all  is  the  dynamic  force  of  thought, 
both  maternal  and  external,  with  environment  and  edu- 
cation playing  their  side  parts.     That  theory  which  besl 

rs  alt,  the  facts  is  the  most  scientific.  Both  theorists 
concede  that  force — life. — spirit. — is  only  manifest  through 
matter,  and  that  the  form,  quantity  and  quality  of  this 
matter  modifies  all  individual  expression,  all  traits,  tend- 
encies and  moods  that  can  in  any  way  be  referred  to  hered- 
ity; and.  that  heredity  is  an  acquired  property  of  matter. 
It  is  therefore  very  important  to  have  a  knowledge  of  all 
laws  and  conditions  affecting  the  manifestation  of  life. 
•  Know  the  truth  and  the  truth   shall  make  you  free." 

The  annals  of  crime  in  Massachusetts  tell  of  the  wife 
of  ,i  butcher  who  delighted  in  washing  her  face  and  arms 
in  the  warm  blood  of  the  slaughtered  animals  to  improve 
her  complexion.  A  child  was  born— JesBe  Pomeroy  by 
name  in  this  thought  of  blood.  When  seven  or  eighl  j 
old  he  was  detected  in  enticine;  children  younger  than  him- 
self into  the  woods  and  tyinLr  them  to  trees  and  slowly  cut- 
ting them  "just  to  see  the  blood  run,"  as  he  said.  The 
father's  business,  and.  possible  thought,  with  the  mother's 
thought,   created  the  form  and  quality  of  brain   through 


554  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

which  the  spirit  of  the  child  was  ever  after  forced  to 
operate  with  no  consciousness  of  moral  wrong.  Society 
for  its  own  protection  has  been  forced  to  confine  this  child, 
now  more  than  twenty  years. 

"In  men,   whom   man   pronounce   divine.   I   see   so   much   of   sin 

and  blot, 
"In  men  whom  men  denounce  as  ill.  I  see  so  much  of  goodness 

still, 
"I  hesitate  to  draw  the  line  between  the  two,  when  God  has  not." 

Another  case  in  point.  A  young  man  named  George 
Earl,  living  in  Quincy,  Illinois,  came  to  Mrs.  Lord  for  a 
sitting.  She  told  him  that  at  times  he  had  an  almost  irre- 
sistible desire  to  kill  his  father  without  any  cause  or  motive 
whatever.  This  he  finally  admitted  to  be  a  fact.  He 
found  himself  getting  up  at  night  and  starting  for  his 
father's  room  with  a  knife;  and,  only  by  the  strongest 
effort  could  he  keep  from  following  out  his  desire.  The 
medium's  control,  understanding  the  law  of  cause  and 
effect,  advised  him  to  leave  home  and  thus  get  away  from 
the  opportunity  to  do  the  terrible  deed.  They  told  him  it 
was  the  result  of  a  prenatal  scene.  The  mother  had  not 
been  kindly  treated  by  the  husband  and  father  at  a  time 
in  Nature's  fitful  mood  when  resentment  knew  no  restraint 
and  she  had  found  herself  standing  at  his  bedside  with  a 
gleaming  knife  in  her  hand.  A  flash  of  lightning  revealed 
to  the  husband  the  tragedy  about  to  be  enacted,  just  in 
time  to  save  himself  and  save  his  wife  from  madness. 
Maternal  thought,  however,  operating  in  accordance  with 
nature 's  system  of  law,  harmony  and  truth,  .had  registered 
itself  in  the  matrix  of  prenatal  matter. 

By  this  law  is  created  religious  bigots  and  political 
enthusiasts  who  would,  if  they  could,  be  a  law  unto  all 
others  as  to  what  they  should  think,  eat.  drink,  how  vote, 
and  what  road  they  should  travel  to  the  throne  of  grace. 
By  this  law  is  formed  the  fanatical  materialist  and  the 
iconoclast, — all  to  be  modified  as  they  develop  avenues 
other  than  their  five  senses  through  which  their  spirit  can 
manifest. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE 

The  Ancients — even  as  Late  aa  the  Greeks  and  Romans, 
—understanding  these  laws  selected  the  women  to  become 
the  mothers  of  their  warriors,  statesmen  and  geniuses,  and 
surrounded  thorn  with  every  condition  accessary  for  desired 
results.  Some  went  still  farther  and  prevented  the  propa- 
gation of  vicious'  and  unworthy  Bpecies.  Professor  Pellam, 
of  Bonn  University,  Germany,  has  given  to  the  world  the 
history  of  one  of  this  class.  The  results  of  his  investiga- 
tions-show what  one  women's  thought  and  action  did. 

Fran  Ida  Jurka  was  a  drunkard,  a  thief  and  a  tramp. 

hi  seventy-five  years  there  were  recorded  eighl  hun- 
dred and  thirty-four  descendants  from  this  one  woman. 
Of  this  number,  seven  hundred  and  nine  were  traced  from 
birth  to  death  with  the  following  results. 

One  hundred  and  six  were  born  out  of  wedlock;  one 
hundred  and  forty-four  were  professional  beggars;  sixty- 
two  lived  on  charity;  one  hundred  and  eighty-one  lived 
very  disreputable  lives:  sixty-nine  were  convicts  and  seven 
were  murderers.  In  seventy-five  years  the  descendants 
of  this  one  women  cost  the  govermenl  one  million,  two 
hundred    and   fifty   thousand   dollars. 

Our  jails,  poor-houses,  work-houses,  asylums  and  peni- 
tentiaries are  full  and  crowded.  Boards  of  Pardon,  in 
many  states,  are  paroling  all  the  inmates  of  these  institu- 
tions they  can  possibly  liberate,  and  the  number  is  yearly 
increasing?  What  is  the  matter?  Is  religion  or  law 
at    fault? 

It  is  time  we  moved  up  to  higher  lines  of  thought,  to 

more  libera]  education,  to  the  study  of  spiritual  sci.ii 
1"  a  knowledge  that  thought  and  repeated  acts  hnild  char- 
acter.     It    is  time  we  learned   to  mould  matter  into   forms 
of  beauty  and  endow  it  with  qualities  that,  shall  produce 
results  different  from  that  which  causes  spirit  to  ma; 
as  drunkards,  thieves  and  tramps. 

OBSESSION"     \\n    INSANITY. 
Many    forms   ..f    insanity    emphasize   the    fact    that    life 

is  modified  by  the  material  the  spirit  is  obliged  to  use  in 


55G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

its  manifestation.  Injury  to  certain  parts  of  the  brain  is 
known  to  destroy  moral  consciousness.  The  constant  for- 
mation of  brain  cells  on  one  line  produces  certain  forms 
of  unconscious  insanity  where  sanity  is  maintained  on  all 
other  lines.  The  ensphering  force  of  original,  polarized 
atoms  causes  other  atoms  to  form  on  the  same  lines,  by  the 
law  of  elective  affinity;  and,  the  concentration  of  thought 
on  embryotic  matter  establishes  tendencies  called  inherited 
insanity.  Spirits  leaving  such  bodies  carry  with  them  will 
and  memory,  and  sublimated  matter  to  a  certain  degree 
polarized  and  subject  to  these  ensphering  forces.  Those 
spirits  building  character  on  vicious  lines  of  hatred  and 
revenge  find  most  congenial  conditions  as  near  earth  as 
possible  for  the  exercise  of  these  qualities.  To  the  fact 
of  obsession  may  be  attributed  many  other  cases  of  insanity. 
Hence  the  importance  of  a  knowledge  of  these  laws  and 
conditions  of  spirit  as  well  as  an  acceptance  of  the  fact  of 
spirit  return.  The  effect  of  these  laws  of  spirit  and  polar- 
izing force  makes  it  difficult  for  many  to  accept  any  theory 
or  fact  outside  of  their  physical  senses;  and,  makes  such 
acceptance   utterly  impossible  to  others. 

All  cases  of  obsession  are  by  spirits  of  vicious  or 
revengeful  characters,  or  by  those  whose  record  here  has 
been  such  that  they  refuse  to  face  it.  A  noted  case  of  this 
character  was  brought  to  Mrs.  Lord  in  Chicago.  Mr. 
William  Enright,  who  lived  in  an  adjoining  town,  had  a 
lovely  daughter,  Carrie,  about  fourteen  years  old,  who, 
at  times,  would  exhibit  the  most  lovely  and  beautiful 
traits  and  disposition.  She  would  instantly  change  to  the 
most  vicious  and  destructive  moods,  breaking  and  destroy- 
ing everything  within  her  reach  with  a  cunning  indica- 
tive of  a  much  older  person.  In  their  attempt  to  control 
and  restrain  the  child,  she  had  fought  them,  kicked  and 
bruised  them,  in  the  most  vicious  manner,  and  with  the 
strength  of  a  mad  man.  At  times,  an  older  boy  would 
exhibit  similar  traits,  but  not  so  pronounced.  When  these 
moods  were  upon  the  boy,  the  girl  was  entirely  free  from 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AM)      LIFE 

them,  showing  a  common  cause,  which  did  not,  and,  if  a 
of  obsession,  could  not,  cover  both  at  the  same  time. 

As  soon  as  the  girl  was  brought  into  .Mrs.  Lord's 
presence  her  controls  perceived  the  cause.  Mrs.  Lord  said  to 
.Air.  Enright,  "do  you  remember  a  large,  dark  man— a 
Frenchman,  who  once  worked  for  you?" 

After  some  thought,  he  recalled  such  a  man. 

"You  had  some  difficulty  with  this  man.  and  accused 
him  of  stealing.  You  were  also  unjust  in  your  accusations 
and  treatment." 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  "I  found  out  a  long  time  afterward 
that  I  was  wrong." 

"You  never  made,  or  attempted  to  make  any  repara- 
tion for  your  injury  and  wrong?" 

"No,  he  was  gone,  and  I  never  had  any  opportunity." 

"Do  you  remember  how  this  man  swore  that  he  would 
get  even  with  you;  that  dead  or  alive,  he  would  have  his 
revenge  ? "  , 

"Yes,  he  did  say  that;  but  I  knew  he  could  not  in- 
jure me." 

"He  passed  into  spirit  life  with  that  feeling  and 
determination.  These  last  strong  desires  are  the  ones  that 
rule,  for  a  time,  in  the  spirit  world.  As  soon  as  he  learned 
his  power  he  commenced  following  along  the  lines  estab- 
lished here." 

Operating  through  the  medium's  Btrong  magnetic 
forces  her  controls  established  limits  through  which  the 
obsessing  spirit  could  not  reach  the  girl  and  then  talked 
with  him.  lie  was  shown  by  Jesse,  one  of  her  wisest  con- 
trols, the  injurious  effect  of  such  actions,  not  only  to  the 
innocent  child,  but  to  himself.  He  soon  recognized  the 
truth  <>f  what  he  was  being  told,  and  Beeing  that  his  old 
enemy.  Mr.  Enright,  had  really  desired  to  correct  the  injus- 
tice done  hiiu,  hut  who.  knowiiur  nothing  of  spirit  con- 
ditions or  return,  did  not  think  he  could  reach  him,  he  at 
once  he'_r'_red  Mr.  Enright 's  pardon,  being  permitted  to  do 
this  through  the  medium,  in  all  the  earnestness  character- 
istic of  impulsive  Frenchmen.  usin<_r  his  own  language  and 


558  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

manner  of  expression,  which  Mr.  Enright  understood.  The 
child  was  never  afterward  troubled. 

The  case  in  Los  Angeles,  California,  of  Jessie  Valen- 
tine, aged  nine  years,  was  similar  to  the  above  in  cause  and 
viciousness.  The  father  of  the  child  had  had  a  personal 
encounter  with  the  obsessing  spirit  before  he  passed  into 
spirit  life.  In  attempting  to  control  the  child  the  father 
had  been  kicked  and  badly  bruised  many  times.  He  could 
not  imagine  why  a  child,  otherwise  so  gentle  and  lovable, 
should  be  so  possessed,  until  Mrs.  Lord  recalled  the  diffi- 
culty, so  long  forgotten  by  him.  Not  so  with  the  spirit. 
Memory  is  ever  constant  and  it  takes  years  of  effort  to  for- 
get, forgive,  and  progress  oiit  of  conditions  acquired  here. 
There  is  a  law  of  mutual  dependence  and  assistance  between 
inhabitants  of  both  spheres,  and  all  spheres.  The  obliga- 
tions are  mutual  and  each  advances  and  progresses  by  the 
discharge  of  those  obligations.  Thought  is  the  medium  of 
exchange.  It  is  accurately  valued,  weighed  and  appre- 
ciated by  the  worker  on  the  spirit  side  of  life ;  and,  oftimes 
fully  appreciated  by  the  worker  here,  but  more  often  but 
indifferently  sensed  for  lack  of  the  development  of  spirit- 
ual faculties.  Progress  on  both  sides  seems  to  be  on  parallel 
lines.  Hence  the  importance  of  the  fact  of  spirit  return 
and  of  securing  reliable  means  of  communcation.  This  is 
manifestly  more  important  to  those  on  this  side  than  to 
those  on  the  other  side  of  life.  Our  thoughts  reach  them 
direct,  while  theirs  must,  in  most  cases,  come  to  us  through 
suitable  avenues  to  be  properly  understood,  at  least  until 
we  make  ourselves  amenable  to  spirit  suggestion  and  un- 
derstand the  language  of  spirits. 

A  similar,  though  not  as  vicious  a  case,  was  brought  to 
Mrs.  Lord's  attention  by  a  party  occupying  a  cottage  near 
her  cottage  at  Lake  Pleasant,  Mass.  A  young  girl  by  the 
name  of  Lottie  Fern  was  obsessed  by  an  ignorant  spirit.  He 
made  the  child  lie  and  steal.  When  called  to  account,  the 
spirit,  in  its  anger,  contorted  the  child's  face  and  pro- 
duced effects  similar  to  lock-jaw.  Mrs.  Lord  and  her  con- 
trols labored  some  time  before  the  child  was  relieved  and 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  559 

barriers  established  to  control  the  obsessing  spirit.  Many 
eases  of  obsession  have  thus  been  relieved  and  the  ignorant 
and  virions  od  the  other  side  helped  to  an  understanding 
of  conditions  and  thus  started  <»u  their  upward  way. 

A   LITTLE   CHILD   COMES   TO    ITS    MOTHER. 

.Many  of  the  most  intelligent  i pie  in  tin-  land  are  un- 
hesitatingly pronouncing  upon  the  reality  and  truth. of  the 
fact  of  spirit  return.  Those  who  know  Mr.  Samuel  Tay- 
lor of  Berkeley,  California,  and  his  accomplished  wife, 
recognize  in  him  a  man  of  unusual  intelligence  and  beauty 
of  character.  He  and  his  wife  have  had  a  varied  and  ex- 
tended  experience  with  spirit  manifestation.  Snch  people 
are  not  subject  to  psychological  influence  and  usually 
know  exactly  what  they  are  talking  about.  The  following 
is  one  of  the  many  manifestations  of  which  they  are  posi- 
tively certain  : 

"Eleven  years  ago,  while  in  one  of  .Mrs.  Maud  Lord 
Drake's  seances  at  the  home  of  my  mother,  Dr.  Beighle,  we 
hail  a  splendid  specimen  of  materialization  Among  the 
invited  guests  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Duderi,  who  had  some 
years  previously  lost  a  beautiful  daughter  who  came  to  her 
parents  that  evening,  Lrivin£  Iter  name  in  full,  hut  added. 
"You  always     called      me      Daisy.        The      mother's     heart 

cried  out.  "Oh!  If  I  could  but  see  yon  Daisy!'  And 
just  then,  between  her  and  another  person,  the  daughter 
materialized  in  full  form,  holding  out  her  little  hands, 
crying, '  See  me !    Seeme!    Seeme!' 

Mrs    S        el  T 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

CLAIRVOYANT   AND   TELEPATHIC    EXPERIMENT. 

Mr.  Buckley,  a  Boston  jeweler,  became  very  much  in- 
terested in  clairvoyance  and  arranged  with  Mr.  Hooker, 
who  was  Mrs.  Lord's  agent  at  the  time  she  was  in  that  city, 
to  try  an  experiment,  the  nature  of  which  he  would  not 
divulge,  excepting  to  designate  the  hour  at  which  he  would 
try  the  experiment.  He  was  to  write  down  just  what  he 
(in  thought)  was  to  do  and  Mr.  Hooker  was  to  write  what- 
ever Mrs.  Lord  dictated. 

At  the  appointed  hour  Mrs.  Lord  said:  "This  is 
strange— I  see  liim  with  his  chin  whiskers  shaved  off.  He 
has  on  a  blue  necktie.  He  is  coming  up  our  steps.  He 
enters  without  ringing;  passes  into  the  reception  room; 
goes  up  to  and  stands  in  front  of  the  large  painting  of 
deer  on  the  side  wall.  He  looks  at  it  intently ;  he  now  looks 
up  into  the  corner  of  the  ceiling  to  the  left;  now  up  to 
the  right  corner.  He  now  turns  and  walks  directly  across 
the  room  and  stands  before  the  painting  of  mountain 
scenery.  He  is  now  at  home  and  putting  on  his  hat.  He  is 
coming  this  way.  Isn't  it  strange  I  should  see  him  with  his 
chin  whiskers  shaven  off,"  said  Mrs.  Lord,  "and  such  a 
necktie ! ' ' 

Mr.  Hooker  took  his  sealed  letter  and  met  Mr.  Buck- 
ley before  he  reached  the  house.  He  said:  "I  guess  she 
has  you  all  right." 

"How  so?"  said  Mr.  Buckley,  as  they  exchanged 
letters. 

"She  saw  you  with  your  chin  whiskers  gone  and  wear- 
ing that  blue  necktre. " 

"I  never  wore  such  a  necktie  before  in  all  my  life, 
and  I  shaved  off  my  whiskers  just  as  a  definite  test,  if 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  o(H 

she  should  Bee  me,  so  as  to  eliminate  any  memory  she  might 

have  <>i*  me.  Now.  if  this  letter  contains  the  same  that  mine 
contains,  it  proves  more  than  clairvoyance.     It  establishes 

telepathy  as  a  fad  to  my  mind,  fixes  it  as  a  fact  that  might, 
if  applied  in  some  cases,  be  very  dangerous,  or  of  great 
utility. 

Opening  both  letters  in  the  presence  of  others  he 
greatly  surprised  and  delighted  to  find  that  they  agreed  in 
every  particular,  excepting  that  of  ringing  the  door  hell, 
lie  had  only  casually  thought  of  the  hell  as  he  thought  of 
coming  up  tin-  steps  and  had  not  noted  that  in  his  letter. 
She  had  caught  this  thought  along  with  those  upon  which  he 
had  concentrated  with  definite  distinctness,  beginning  and 
stopping  where  his  mental  concentration  commenced  and 
ended. 

PREDICTS  SERIOUS  ILLNESS  OF  NOTED  WOMAN. 

While  riding  on  the  street  cars  of  Boston,  Mrs.  Lord 
was  introduced  by  a  mutual  friend,  to  .Mrs.  Mary  A.  Liver- 
more,  the  noted  and  popular  Woman's  Rights  advocate 
Then  and  there,  as  was  her  custom  to  give  all  me- 
spirits,  she  told  Mrs.  Livermore  many  things  of  the  past 
which  were  readily  recognized.  She  then  said:  "Mrs. 
Livermore  you  are  going  to  be  very  ill.  The  doctors  will 
he  certain  that  you  will  die  and  will  so  tell  your  family, 
hut  remember  what  I  tell  you.  You  will  not  die.  You  will 
recover  and  live  many  years."  Everything  she  told  her 
transpired  just  as  told.  When  sick  and  told  that  she  could 
not  recover,  she  called  her  husband  and  daughter  and  told 
them  how  Maud  E.  Lord  had  predicted  her  present  condi- 
tion and  told  her  she  would  live.  Tears  after  she  related 
to  Mrs.  Lord  the  literal  fulfillment  of  her  prophecy.  She 
was  still  alive  and  interested  in  her  great  humanitarian 
work  more  than  twenty  years  later.  Mrs.  Livermore  was 
the  friend  and  unselfish  worker  among  the  wounded  and 
dying  soldiers  in  the  Civil  War  of  1861-5  and  was  idol] 
bv  the  survivors  of  that  war. 


5G2  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

A  DETECTIVE  VISITS  A  SEANCE. 

Berkeley.  April  1:5,  1903. 
My  Dear  Maud:  —  Hearing  you  are  about  to  publish 
your  book,  allow  me  to  add  an  incident  of  your  wonderful 
power.  At  one  of  the  seances  you  held  at  my  home,  a  detec- 
tive, his  wife  and  two  sons  were  invited.  I  let  them  pre- 
pare the  room  which  we  were  to  use  as  a  reception  room  for 
the  angels,  and  they  prepared  it  well,  too,  I  assure  you. 
The  lights  had  not  been  out  five  minutes  before  the  detec- 
tive and  his  whole  family  were  crying  and  speaking  to  a 
son  who  had  been  killed  on  the  railroad,  and  whom  I  never 
knew.  The  son  had  materialized  and  stood  before  them,  so 
they  all  recognized  him.  He  talked  to  them  for  quite  a 
while.  After  this  wonderful  seance  was  over  the  detective 
showed  me  a  lamp  with  which  he  had  intended  to  throw  a 
light  upon  the  seance.  His  son  was  the  first  to  come. 
Your  friend, 

Nellie. 

While  stopping  with  a  family  in  Philadelphia  a  most 
unusual  thing  occurred,  similar  to  the  phenomena  of  faces 
on  the  frosted  window  glass  in  the  medium's  early  experi- 
ence in  Fondulac,  Wisconsin,  only  in  this  case  it  carried 
with  it  a  hint  of  advance  news  of  much  importance  to  the 
gentleman.  While  the  children  of  the  family  were  amus- 
ing themselves  in  the  sitting  room,  in  the  early  morning, 
they  observed  a  figure  in  the  frosting  on  the  window  pane. 
On  close  examination  it  was  seen  to  be  that  of  a  woman 
holding  a  paper  in  her  hand.  The  style  and  material  of  the 
dress  was  also  clearly  made  out.  On  comparing  it  with  a 
photograph  of  the  gentleman's  mother,  then  in  Europe,  it 
was  found  to  be  an  exact  counterpart,  with  the  exception 
that  the  photograph  did  not  show  any  paper  in  the  mother's 
hand.  The  style  and  material  of  the  dress  and  position 
were  the  same.  The  picture  remained  on  the  glass  unti! 
the  heat  of  the  room  rendered  it  indistinguishable.  The 
strange  part  of  this  incident  occurred  the  next  day  when 
the    srentleman    received    a    communication  relative  to  his 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     AND     LIFE.  5C3 

mother's  estate  in  Europe.     The  package  corresponded  ex- 
actly  with  the  paper  seen  on  the  window  pane. 

ODD  DESORIPTION& 

While  describing  for  a  professor  of  mathematics  from 
Amhersl  College,  Mrs.  Lord  said:  "I  sec  a  brother  of  3 
Losing  his  life  in  a  very  strange  way.  Be  Beems  to  be  thrown 
into  the  Bea  from  a  whale's  tail.  He  was  the  most  sur- 
prised man  in  the  world  when  he  found  himself  in  the 
Kater." 

'"1  should  say  he  was."'  replied  the  professor.  "He  was 
at  sea  and  had  gone  with  others  in  a  boat  to  examine  what 
they  thought  was  a  rock  in  mid-ocean.  He  landed  upon 
the  rock,  which  proved  to  be  a  whale's  tail."  This  strange 
death,  known  only  to  the  professor,  being  told  to  him  by  a 
stranger,  when  he  knew  that  no  one  but  himself  knew  it. 
sed  him  to  continue  his  investigations  until  he  was 
forced  to  admit  and  accept  as  true  the  theory  of  spirit 
return.  Accustomed  to  reasoning  from  axiomatic  truths  and 
established  facts,  he  was  not  afraid  of  the  deductions  of 
his  own  logic,  as  are  many  less  intelligent  people. 

Speaking  at  one  of  Mrs.  R.  S.  Lillie's  meetings  in  San 
Francisco,  she  told  a  German  that  he  had  a  brother  lost  at 
Rea  from  a  vessel  that  went  down  with  all  on  board.  (tY 
said  the  gentleman,  "My  brother  was  thus  lost  more  than 
thirty  years  ago.  The  vessel  on  which  he  left  the  old 
country  for  America  was  never  heard  from  after  leaving 
port." 

At   the  same   meeting,  she  said   to  another  German: 
"Yon  have  a  son  named  Willie  in  spirit  life."     "Strai 
he   replied,   "that   yon   should   tell   that.     I   will   explain. 
Years  a<_ro.  we  lost   a  little  one  prematurely  born.     Some 

years  after,  a   medium  told  me  the  same  as  yon  tell,  ami  at 
tie-  same  time  said  that  the  child  said  he  did  not   have  any 
name.      1  said.  'We  will  call  him  Willie.'     Now,  after  - 
years  he  comes  again  and  '.rives  the  name  I  gave  him.     I      s 

strange  but  it  must  be  true  that  he  is  here,  or  you  eonld 

not   know  that   he  is  my  boy  and   named  Willie.     T  n 


5G4  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

saw  you  before  and  no  one  could  tell  you,  for  1  never 
told  any  one — you  could  not  guess  it."  Plain,  simple 
logic— German  logic. 

A  most  unusual  test  was  given  to  a  lady  in  Akron, 
Ohio,  in  the  presence  of  many  people.  Mrs.  Drake  de- 
scribed the  lady's  mother,  and  said  she  was  burned  to 
death  by  gasoline. 

"Yes,"  said  the  lady,  "My  mother  came  to  her  death 
in  the  manner  described." 

"I  also  see  that  you  were  born  after  the  accident  to 
your  mother.    How  very  strange. ' ' 

"Yes,  so  I  am  told,"  said  the  lady. 

It  was  explained  that  the  sudden  and  intense  heat 
caused  involuntary  muscular  contraction  that  brought  the 
child  into  the  world  after  the  spirit  had  left  the  body  and 
before  rigor  mortis  had  set  in.  Such  descriptions  establish 
the  presence  of  some  disembodied  informant  and  eliminates 
all  guess  work. 

An  instance  of  telepathic  diagnosis  occurred  in  Beat- 
rice, Nebraska,  when  the  medium  was  visiting  Mrs.  Judge 
H.  W.  Parker.  An  orthodox  minister  had  called  some 
thirty  or  more  of  his  congregation  to  account  for  daring 
to  attend  Mrs.  Drake's  Sabbath  meetings.  He  sent  them 
notes  to  come  to  his  study  and  answer  for  their  apostasy. 
He  expected  them  to  bow  to  his  superior  wisdom  and  cry: 
"peccavi,"  and  he  would  forgive  them  and  tell  them  to 
"go  and  sin  no  more."  Only  two  or  three  obeyed  his 
mandate.  He  then  tried  to  explain  his  demand  as  a  joke. 
The  ladies  of  his  congregation  then  called  upon  Mrs.  Drake 
with  the  intention  of  securing  for  themselves  evidence  of 
the  absurdity  of  the  claims  of  spiritualism.  As  usual  she 
received  them  graciously  and  described  for  each  separately. 
They  were  greatly  astonished  that  such  things  could  be 
when  the  wise  minister,  hired  to  think  for  them  and  to 
keep  them  from  thinking  for  themselves,  so  unhesitatingly 
told  them  it  was  all  the  works  of  the  devil.  She  diagnosed 
for  one  of  the  ladies  and  told  her  what  to  do.  The  lady 
then  asked  if  she  could  tell  what  was  the  matter  with  an  ab- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LlFlv  505 

sent  friend  without  touching  any  article  belonging  to  her 
friend.  "Yea,"  was  the  reply.  "There  is  a  scientific  way 
in  which  1  can  be  brought  in  contact  with  your  friend. 
Let  me  take  your  hand.  Now  think  intently  of  your 
friend." 

"  I  sec  that  she  is  very  sick."  She  then  described  the 
lady,  her  family,  the  room  and  its  furnishings,  and  told 
them  she  would  die  before  eleven  o'clock  of  the  next  fore- 
noon ;  that  the  doctors  did  not  understand  her  trouble,  and 
that  she  could  cure  her  by  magnetic  treatment.  Before  the 
designated  hour,  the  next  day,  the  lady,  wife  of  a  banker, 
died. 

I  X I  SUAL    MANIFESTATION. 

Among  those  possessed  of  remarkable  healing  power  is 
Dr.  Nellie  Beighle  of  San  Francisco,  than  whom  none  are 
better  or  more  favorably  known  and  none  more  successful 
— a  lady  of  largest  generosity,  fearless  in  expression  of  opin- 
ion and  loved  by  all  who  know  her.  After  an  absence  from 
the  city  for  two  years,  Airs.  Drake  entered  her  elegant  of- 
fices in  San   Francisco,   and,   after  greeting  her  said : 

"I  learn  you  have  been  getting  married  since  I  was 
here." 

"Yes,  Maud,  I  have,  and  I  have  one  of  the  best  men  in 
the  world." 

"I  am  so  glad,  Nellie  dear,  for  you  deserve  the  best,  but 
you  will  not  keep  him  long." 

"Oh,  now,  you  stop  that,"  she  replied,  in  her  impul- 
sive way.  "Don't  you  dare  see  him  passing  out— I  won't 
have  it." 

She  again  saw  the  shadow  of  the  Death  Angel  fol- 
lowing close  to  this  unusually  happy  couple.  A  few  days 
Liter  she  held  a  seance  in  their  elegant  home  in  the  Strath 
more.  The  manifestations  were  unusually  satisfactory  as 
was  usual  with  all  seances  held  for  her.  Understanding 
spiritual  law  so  well.  Dr.  Beighle  alv.  -ted  her  sit- 

ters for  the  seances  held  for  her  and  imposed  upon  them 
conditions  essential  to  the  production  of  the  phenomena. 


5GC  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

They  could  comply  or  stay  away.  She  wanted  the  best 
conditions  and  sought  the  best  results,  irrespective  of  the 
preconceived  opinions  of  the  many  professional  and  scien- 
tific men  whom  she  invited.  Here  again,  Mrs.  Drake  saw 
the  Angel  of  eternal  life  standing  close  beside  this  loved 
husband.  In  parting,  she  said:  "Nellie,  dear  Nellie,  I 
must  tell  you.  I  know  you  are  as  good  as  gold  to  your 
husband,  and  to  everybody,  but  I  want  you  to  be  espe- 
cially kind  to  him,  for  he  will  not  be  with  you  very  long.'* 

"Oh,  I  hope  it  will  be  some  time  before  he  will  go, 
some  years,  anyway." 

"No,  Nellie,  I  can  count  the  days  on  the  fingers  of 
one  hand." 

"Don't  say  that,  Maud — I  may  outlive  him,  but  he 
won't  go  for  years  yet.    I  can't  let  him  go." 

"I  am  fraid  he  will.  I  am  so  sorry,  but  I  am  made  to 
tell  you." 

In  less  than  a  week  he  fey  silent  and  unconscious,  but 
not  yet  entirely  severed  from  his  body.  They  all  thought 
he  was  gone.  Not  so,  however.  The  "powers"  that  rule 
Dr.  Beighle's  destiny  brought  him  back  to  bear  tesimony  of 
her  teachings  and  her  knowledge  of  the  continuity  of  life 
and  its  possible  immortality.  He  told  her  in  verse  which 
seems  best  fitted  for  description  of  celestial  scenes  and 
with  great  exaltation  of  thought,  as  only  an  emancipated 
and  arisen  spirit  is  permitted  to  do,  of  his  visit  to  the 
border  line  of  spirit  life ;  of  its  glories  and  possibilities,  and 
of  those  who  were  awaiting  his  coming.  He  returned  to 
thank  her  for  opening  up  to  him  before  he  went  the  beauty 
of  eternal  life's  inexplicable  glory.  The  following  is  a 
small  part  of  what  he  said,  as  he  repeated  it-  to  Mrs.  Drake 
the  day  after  he  left  the  body: 

"Thou  hast  banished  the  mists  from  mine  eyes; 

Thou  hast  awakened  my  soul  to  all  this  beauty. 

Think,  oh,  my  Helen,  it  was  thy  hand, 

That  lifted  the  mist  from  these  mighty  hills. 

It  was  thy  voice,  speaking  in  loving  tones, 

That   stilled    all   fear   of  the   unknown — the    Christ — 

The  God,  whom  I  now  know,  doeth  all  things  well. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE 

"Wn<  d  God  and  his  attending  angels 
Shall  lift  the  frozen  seal  oil  my  struggling  voice. 
With  all  the  longings  ol   voiceless  love, 
Whose  'signet'  is  life  everlasting, 

I   will   hridge   the   soundless   ocean   ol    Death 
And   will  come  and  tell   you.   dear  one. 
Of  the   infinite   rest   and    ueauty   of  dreams 
Never,    no   never   in    mortal    life   surpassed." 

Be  gained  a  knowledge  of  the  facta  of  Bpiril  life 
through  the  medinmahip  of  his  loving  wife,  who  is  a 
medium  of  great  power,  and  the  author  of  several  works  "ii 
psychic  facts.  After  he  had  taken  his  final  departure  and 
his  body  lay  in  tin-  casket  midst  n  profusion  of  flowers, 
he  came  and  repeated  to  Mrs.  Drake  all  he  had  s;iid  to 
his  wife.  This  communication  was  read  to  the  sorrowing 
wife  and  family,  who  Listened  with  rapt  attention  and 
bore  testimony  to  the  accuracy  of  the  communication  as 
delivered  to  them  jost  before  passing  to  the  world  of 
spirits. 

MATERIALIZE    IX    MID-AIR. 

Our  relations  to  matter  and  its  laws  are  such  as  P> 
cause  ns  to  question  any  fact  outside  of  the  conditions  to 
which  we  are  subjected.  We  copy  the  following  from  a 
letter  written  by  Mrs.  Henrietta  Jansen  of  Berkeley,  <';ili- 
fornia,  a  lady  <>f  rare  and  beautiful  accomplishments,  an 
exquisite  vocalist  and  a  person  in  no  way  easily  deceived 
or  deluded  by  unreal  appearances.     She  writes: 

"'We  held  a  seance  al  our  home  with  Mis  Maud 
Lord-Drake  .as  medium.  There  were  sixteen  present,  includ- 
ing our  three  children.  Mr.  Drake,  who  accompanied  his 
wife,  in  order  to  satisfy  skeptics  had  been  Locked  ou1  of 
our  pari  of  the  house.  All  presenl  bu1  one,  Mr.  s..  had 
attended  circles  before.  He  was  a  mosl  decided  skeptic 
Almost  as  soon  as  the  light  was  extinguished  spirt  v< 
came  to  different  ones.    The  singing  of  Clarence,  the 

trol,  was  simply  wonderful.     Articles  were  taken  from  one 

person   to  another  when   verbally  or  mentally  requef 
We  were  fanned   repeatedly.     The  music  box  was  taken 

around  the  circle  and  played  for  each  of  lis  and  then  taken 


568  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

up  and  up  until  the  ceiling  was  touched.  The  same  thing 
was  done  with  the  guitar.  I  requested  that  they  rattle 
the  crystals  of  the  hanging  lamp  (which  had  been  put  up 
and  out  of  reach)  with  each  instrument.  They  did  so,  Mr. 
S.,  the  pronounced  skeptic,  could  not  believe  it  was  spirit 
phenomena,  and  thought  Mr.  Drake  had  in  some  way  got- 
ten into  the  room  and  was  doing  it  all,  and  not  until  we 
called  for  him  and  he  answered  from  the  adjoining  room 
and  I  assured  him  he  was  locked  out  would  he  believe  other- 
wise. Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  received  beautiful  messages  and 
tests.  Mrs.  J's.  sister  materialized  before  her  so  plainly  and 
brightly  that  she  recognized  her.  Her  husband,  the  gentle- 
man to  her  right,  and  my  little  daughter,  all  saw  her.  Our 
family,  five  in  number,  sat  together,  and  we  all  saw  our 
clear  departed  daughter  materialize.  She  came  from  above, 
down,  down,  like  the  beautiful  angel  she  is,  until  she  stood 
in  front  of  me,  when  she  said:  "Mama,  mama,  mama— it 
is  Emma."  Then  she  rose  up  toward  the  ceiling  and  van- 
ished. It  was  a  beautiful  materialization,  so  white  and 
bright  that  we  all  plainly  saw  her. ' ' 

Mr.  J.  wore  a  rose  in  a  flower  holder.  We  all  heard 
a  spirit  voice  ask  for  it.  It  was  taken  to  Mr.  S.,  who  sat 
at  the  other  side  of  the  circle.  Later  on,  Mr.  J.  asked  that 
the  holder  be  returned.  Mr.  S.  felt  them  taking  the  holder 
from  the  rose.  It  was  returned  to  Mr.  J.  When  the  light 
was  finally  lit,  Mr.  S.,  our  skeptic,  had  the  rose  and  the 
music  box  in  his  lap.  Mr.  T.'s  handkerchief  and  a  lady's 
handkerchief,  were  tied  around  his  right  wrist.  He  was 
obliged  to  admit  that  there  must  have  been  unseen  forces  at 
work.  These  remarkable  manifestations  have  put  him  to 
thinking. 

Mrs.  Henrietta  Jansen. 

test  verified. 

The  following  verification  of  a  test  given  to  an  Eng- 
lish gentleman,  well  known  in  San  Francisco,  is  only  one 
of  many  of  a  similar  kind : 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  5G9 

Bonte  Avi:..  Berkeley,  CaL,  Apr.  L5,  1 9 
I.  George  1'.  AY.  Jansen,  do  hereby  declare  that  I  was 
with  J.  A.   Kinghorn-Jones  at  662   East  Twelfth  Street, 

East  Oakland,  on  Tuesday,  the  14th  day  of  April,  1903, 
when  Mrs.  Maud  Lord-Drake,  between  the  hours  of  2:30 
and  4:30  p.  m.  while  under  control,  told  J.  A.  Kinghorn- 
Joiies  that  he  had  a  great  many  friends  around  him;  that 
there  were  three  brothers  and  a  sister.  Mr.  Kimdiorn- 
Jones  said:  "No  sister."  Mrs.  Maud  Lord-Drake  said: 
"Yes,  it  is  so,  even  if  you  never  knew  her;  or  if  you  did. 
Your  sister  is  here.  Of  this  I  am  certain.  You  will  re- 
ceive a  letter  from  your  brother  very  soon  which  will  con- 
vince you. ' ' 

(Signed.)     G.  1'.  W.  Jansen. 

36  Geary  St.,  San  Francisco,  April  15,  '03. 
G.  I'.   W.  Janst  />. 

Dear  Sir:— This  morning  I  received  a  letter  from  my 
brother.  Edward,  in  London,  saying  that  our  sister  Adeline 
passed  over  on  the  31st  of  March,  1903,  after  three  weeks 
illness. 

(Signed)  J.  A.  Kingitorx-Jon 

Among  the  many  incidents  of  Mrs.  Lord's  experience 
during  her  residence  in  Boston,  was  that  of  meeting  with 

Baron  Martin-/..'  of  England,   and  his  a tmplished   - 

Juan.  Baron  Martheze  will  he  remembered  as  a  writer  of 
greal  ability  ami  the  author  of  several  volumes  on  spirit- 
ual subjects;  a  gentleman  with  courtly  manners,  commen- 
surate with  his  rank.  lie  was  a  greal  admirer  of  Mrs  Lord 
and  her  mediumship.  \\>'  urged  her  to  visit  England  and 
assured  her  of  great  Buccess  in  London.  lie  wanted  her  to 
be  presented  at  Court,  as  the  Queen  was  greatly  inter* 
in  this  transcendental  subject. 

<»u  his  second  visit  to  this  country,  he  again  urged  her 
to  visit  England.    He  extended  many  courtesies  ami  marked 

attentions  to   Mrs.   Lord   and   her  numerous   friend* 

taining  them  as  became  his  position  Mini  ability. 


570  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

At  this  time.  Minister  Joy  personally  placed  in  Mrs. 
Lord's  hands  a  beautiful  present  in  the  shape  of  a  locket  of 
Etruscan  gold,  attached  to  a  massive  gold  chain.  The  chain 
was  stolen  by  a  pretended  medium,  the  daughter  of  a 
writer  on  hypnotism,  who  was  very  jealous  of  Mrs.  Lord's 
popularity.  The  locket  was  a  beautiful  work  of  art,  em- 
bossed with  two  hearts  entwined,  one  of  pearls  and  the  other 
of  turquoise,  surmounted  by  the  Prince  of  Wales'  feathers 
set  with  rubies.  This  she  wore  as  a  breast  pin  for  more  than 
thirty  years.  It  was  once  stolen  and  several  times  lost,  but 
each  time  her  control,  Val.,  brought  it  back.  So  highly  did 
she  prize  this  present  for  its  rare  beauty  and  great  value, 
that  this  control  would  not  let  her  lose  it.  It  is  the  only 
ornament  she  ever  cared  to  wear. 

A    SPIRIT    CALLS    FOR    HELP. 

One  dark,  cold,  stormy  evening  when  living  on  the 
AVest  Side  in  Chicago,  the  medium's  husband  came  home 
about  seven   o'clock  and  was   greeted  with  the   cheerful 

remark:      "I   must  go  to "  naming    a    number    on 

Adams  Street,  which  proved  to  be  near,  the  bridge,  in  a 
building  occupied  by  several  families  of  laboring  people. 

"Well,  I  guess  not,  on  such  a  night  as  this,"  was  the 
reply. 

"I  must  go.  I  am  told  that  a  man  has  just  been 
brought  home  dead,  and  his  wife  and  six  little  children, 
without  a  cent  with  which  to  buy  a  candle  or  a  mouthful 
to  eat,  are  gathered  around  the  dead  body." 

The  husband  knew  from  the  locality  that  it  was  an  un- 
desirable part  of  the  city  to  visit  unaccompanied  by  the 
police,  and  hence  left  everything  of  value,  except  a  few 
dollars  in  money.  They  started  in  the  sleet  and  rain 
for  the  designated  number. 

Arriving  near  the  place,  the  medium,  while  her  hus- 
band was  searching  for  the  number,  took  the  lead  and 
walked  with  no  uncertain  or  hesitating  step  to  a  hall-way; 
entered  and  walked  in  the  Stygian  darkness  to  the  back 
of  the  building;  opened  a  door  and  walked  in,  almost  be- 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  571 

t*i>iv  her  husband  could  overtake  her.  There  in  the  dark- 
ness on  the  bed,  Lay  the  body  of  b  man  fully  dressed  just  as 
he  had  been  broughl  home  from  the  accident  thai  ended 
his  life.  The  wife  was  kneeling  a1  the  bed  and  the  hungry 
children  were  crying  at  her  side.  Their  Immediate  necessi- 
ties were  Boon  relieved. 

The  priest  refused  to  officiate  a1  the  funeral  because 
of  some  infraction  of  church  discipline,  until  it  became  evi- 
dent that  it  would  be  greatly  to  the  discredit  of  the  church 
if  he  did  not  do  so.  Catholic  city  officials,  in  order  to  pre- 
vent the  ease  being  aired  in  the  newspapers,  saw  the  priest 
who  then  denied  ever  having  refused  to  officiate. 

When  the  poor  widow  was  placed  in  better  quarters 

where  she  could  support  her  little  ones,  the  incident  passed 
out  of  the  medium's  life. 

TALKS    INDIAN    TO    THE    NAVA.JOS. 

On  one  of  Mrs.  Drake's  trips  across  the  continent. 
when  the  train  had  stopped  for  dinner  and  while  the 
medium  was  talking  with  a  few  Indian  women,  near  whom 
were  several  lazy  Indian  men  not  deserving  of  their  own 
appellation  of  "Braves,"  she  commenced  to  talk  to  them 
in  their  own  Language.  The  passengers  from  the  train 
gathered  around  her  and  Looked  on  with  much  interest. 
especially  one  gentleman  who  said  he  was  the  interpreter 

for  the  tribe.    The  Indian  wo n  laughed  and  pointed  to 

the  Indian  men.  evidently  greatly  pleased  at  what  was 
being  said,  while  the  [ndian  men  tried  to  hide  behind  each 
other  and  to  get  out  of  the  circle  fori 1  around  them,  by 

the    passengers.      The    Indian    women    lifted    Mrs.    Drake's 

coat  and  said:    ''P>i'_r  brave  come."  and  pointed  towards 

their  home  aCTOSS  the  country.  The  medium's  husband 
was  obliged  to  put  his  arm  around  her  to  keep  her  from 

going  with  them.     The  interpreter  came  forward  and  said: 

"Where  did  your  wife  learn  to  speak  the  Indian  Language 
bo  fluently  I  have  been  the  interpreter  for  this  tribe  for 
twenty  years  ami  v'e    -peaks  the  Language  better  than   I 

do.  and  much  better  than  1  have  ever  heard  it  spoken." 


572  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

She  was  conscious  of  what  she  was  saying  and  was, 
apparently,  in  her  normal  condition,  but  could  not  help 
saying  what  she  did.  Her  talk  was  a  reprimand  from  some 
grand  old  Indian  to  the  lazy,  useless  men  of  the  tribe,  all 
of  which  was  fully  understood  by  the  medium,  the  Indians 
and  by  the  interpreter. 

HELD   BACK   PROM    WRONG. 

A  prominent  broker  in  Chicago,  who,  by  some  strange 
law  of  affinity,  was  determined  to  leave  his  family  and 
seek  a  distant  home  with  a  woman  who  was  likewise  in- 
clined to  leave  her  husband,  became  acquainted  with  Mrs. 
Drake  by  reading  many  of  her  writings  and  by  noting  the 
accuracy  with  which  one  of  her  controls  called  the  Chicago 
grain  market.  Many  parties  in  Chicago  in  1890,  are  con- 
versant with  and  noted  the  fact  that  this  control  called 
the  grain  market  to  the  fraction  of  a  cent  for  days,  weeks 
and  months  ahead,  and  that  he  told  three  months  ahead 
of  the  close  of  the  May  option  on  wheat,  the  exact  fraction 
(1.17)  at  which  it  would  close.  The  verification  of  these 
prophecies  naturally  caused  this  broker  to  listen  when  she 
told  him  he  must  not  do  the  terrible  thing  he  contem- 
plated. If  he  did,  the  master  of  human  destiny  would 
condemn  him  to  shame  and  failure,  to  penury  and  woe. 
She  told  the  woman  her  husband  would  meet  a  sudden 
death  and  he  would  then  know  all  her  perfidy  and  sin.  Be- 
fore them  was  the  wreck  of  two  homes,  sorrow  and  shame 
to  two  families.  She  told  them  their  spirit  friends  com- 
manded and  demanded  nobler  and  better  issues  of  life. 

The  woman's  husband  met  with  sudden  death  within  a 
few  months.  The  medium's  advice  was  heeded.  Only 
these  two  people  and  he,  who  is  now  on  the  other  side  of 
life,  know  of  these  facts.  The  spirit  world  guards  well  the 
sacred  secrets  of  human  lives. 

CHRIST  IS  COMING.  CHRIST  IS  HERE— A  VISION. 

In  the  month  of  June,  in  1883,  Mrs.  Lord  lived  at  No. 
26  Chester  Park,  Boston.    While  lying  in  a  room  adjoining 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND      LIFE  573 

on.-  where  the  family  were  discussing  the  complicated  prob- 
lem <>f  dressmaking  and  where  she  could  hear  their  eon- 
\.  is.it ion.  she  was  given  a  vision  of  the  second  coming  <>f 
Christ    Of  this  experience,  Mrs.  Lord  says: 

"It  was  not  a  dream  because  I  was  fully  conscioi 
every  sound.    I  could  hear  the  rhythmic  dropping  of  water 
from  a  faucel  in  the  room,  mingling  with  the  subdued  noise 
from  the  street  and  the  monotone  of  the  conversation  of 
those  in  the  adjoining:  room." 

These  waves— these  ripples  of  sound,  soothing  to  brain 
and  body,  reaching  out  into  the  unknown  without  any 
break  of  continuity,  pnt  her  in  tun.'  with  the  more  subtle 
harmonies  on  which  dreams  as  well  as  the  real  verities  of 
life  are  brought  from  the  higher  intelligences.  Rhythm  is 
the  talisman  that  freshens  and  fascinates  all  souls  touched 
with  tin1  made  power  of  religious  sentiment,  Rhythm  and 
song  is  the  form  in  which  the  language  of  the  celestial 
spheres  is  expressed,  just  as  poetry  is  the  form  in  which  the 
Eternal  feeling  clothes  itself  with  infinite  and  divine  siur- 
srestions.  The  vision  was  presented  with  an  accompaniment 
of  mountains  and  with  the  mysteries  of  the  air,  surround- 
ings that  were  in  harmony  with  its  grandeur,  its  meaning, 
and.  its  possible  verity. 

She  seemed  to  be  in  a  place  she  had  never  seen  before, 
She  thus  described  it:  "I  stood  by  a  roadway  winding 
from  tin1  foothills,  back  of  which  were  higher  peaks,  down 
through  a  mountain  town.  The  declining  sun  touched  the 
distant  hills  with  a  light  of  unusual  brightness  But  where 
I  stood,  and  over  nil  the  town  a  subdued  shadow  of  the 
deepest  d;i rkness  rested.  This  did  not  impress  me  with  any 
feeling  of  gloom,  but  rather  ;i  feeling  «»f  mysterious 
such  :1s:  steals  over  us  and  affects  all  living  animals  when 
the  sun  is  totally  eclipsed;  not  with  a  sense  of  fear,  but 
with  a  feeling  of  exaltation— an  expectation  •  pur- 

pose about  to  be  realized ;  some  promise  on  which  hangs  the 
dearest  hopes  of  life  about  to  be  fulfilled.  Looking  up  the 
road  1  beheld  two  beautiful  while  hones  richly  equipped, 
with   plumed  heads  and  drawing 


574  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

a  gilded  chariot  in  which  stood  two  persons  from  whose 
shoulders  fell  white  flowing  mantles.  One  drove  while  the 
other  turned  to  me  and  said : .  '  Go  ye  forth  and  tell  all 
the  people  that  Christ  is  coming.  Christ  is  here.'  I  was 
made  to  feel  that  these  two  were  Peter  and  John  and  that 
the  command  came  from  John. 

"A  second  chariot,  in  all  respects  like  the  first,  passed 
containing  Moses  and  Elias,  when  Moses  turned  and  said: 
'See  ye  not  by  the  heavenly  signs  that  Christ  is  coming, 
Christ  is  here.  Go  ye  throughout  the  land  and  prepare  the 
people  for  his  coming.' 

"Other  chariots  to  the  number  of  ten  or  twelve  passed 
containing  the  apostles  and  disciples.  From  each  came  the 
same  command. 

"As  the  last  chariot  passed  I  hurried  up  the  road  to 
do  as  commanded.  A  thought  startled  me:  ''Am  I  worthy 
of  this  glorious  mission?  Has  my  life  been  such  that  the 
people  will  listen  to  my  voice  and  heed  the  glad  tidings  I 
bring  to  them?' 

"A  strange  and  dread  feeling  of  unworthiness  came 
over  me.  Every  unkind  thought  of  my  life  confronted  me. 
Every  selfish  act  oppressed  me.  I  was  weighted  and  bur- 
dened with  every  hasty  word  and  every  neglected  oppor- 
tunity to  relieve  the  distress  of  others.  I  felt  humiliated 
and  crushed'  with  such  great  un  worthiness.  And  I  went 
sorrowing  through  fear  that  I  could  make  so  few  hear  the 
message  I  bore.  I  fell  on  my  knees  and  looked  up  into  the 
mysterious  darkness.  Never  before  did  I  know  that  spirit 
could  be  so  punished  by  regret.  Could  I  only  go  back  and 
gather  up  the  scattered  jewels,  that  I  had  so  carelessly  and 
ignorantly  strewn  along  my  pathway,  it  would  have  been 
a  solace  and  a  joy  to  me.  Gladly  would  I  have  given  an 
eternity  of  service  to  feel  worthy  of  executing  the  com- 
mand thus  given  to  me. 

"As  I  looked  up  into  the  heavens,  the  rays  of  the  de- 
clining sun,  as  if  from  beyond  the  clouds,  touched  the 
highest  eastern  hills  with  a  golden  radiance;  and,  in  the 
center  of  the  darkness  and  gloom  which  rested  upon  the 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE 

homes  of  the  people  and  the  streets  and  by-ways  in  which 
the}  lived,  unconscious  of  whal  Beeraed  so  clear  and  appar- 
ent to  me,  I  behold  an  aureola  of  lighl  growing  Larger 
and  more  distinct,  high  in  the  center  of  the  mysterious 
darkness  above.  Extending  slowly  down  from  tins. 
through  the  darkened  Bpace,  came  a  golden  stairway,  on 
cadi  side  of  which  there  stood,  two  and  two.  hand  in  hand. 

man  and  woman,  making  an  unbroken  chain  of  angelic 
forms  extending  from  the  aureola  of  Light,  which  was 
slowly  changing  to  empyrean  blue,  down  to  the  high  hill  at 
the  limits  of  the  town. 

"Slowly  coming  down  this  golden  stairway  I  saw  the 
well-known  figure  of  the  Nazarene.  On  His  shapely  and 
beautiful  countenance  rested  a  shadow  of  unutterable  sor- 
row, as  step  by  step  he  came,  unrolling  a  long  scroll— ta< 
,<<<>r<]  of  human  lives — which  fell  upon  the  stairway  hack 
of  him. 

"When  about  midway  between  the  blue  empyreum 
and  the  dark  earth  into  which  the  stairway  Beemed  to  dis- 
solve, the  last  rays  of  the  setting  sun  illumined  his  golden, 
brown  hair  and  white  robes. 

"The  dripping  of  water,  the  noise  of  the  street  contin- 
ued all  this  time  and  a  v.-ice  called  me  from  the  adjoining 

room.     Thus  ended  a   vision  whose  impress  has  never  been 

effaced     whose  lesson  has  never  been  Forgotten.     It  is  the 

hasis   id"   my   belief   in   the   coming   reality   of    the    vision 

itself." 

If   Raphael,  01 f  the  seven   holy    angels,    served 

Tobias  as  a  servant  all  the  days  he  did  appear  to  him,  and 
he  "did   but   see  a    vision;*'  and.  our   loved   ones  '-an   come 

from  that  brighl  other  side  to  greet  us,  as  they  certainly 

do.    wdio   shall    place   limits    upon    Almighty    [ntelligei 

Scientists  may  cling  to  false  ideas  and   principles   for  fear 

they  may  he  forced  to  acknowledge  an  infinite  intelli- 
gence controlling  all  nature's  pr<  The  world,  how- 
ever,   moves   on    and    the   simple   and    humble   grasp   Cod's 

grea1  Becrets  before  the  wise  are  ready  to  accept  them. 

iOUnting    this    vision    to    a    lady    in    Stockton,    Cali- 


576  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

foruia,  who  has  her  home  study  equipped  with  astronomi- 
cal instruments  and  who  is  royally  gifted  with  divina- 
tion and  intelligence,  it  was  interpreted  as  follows : 

CHRIST   IS   COMING;    CHRIST   IS   HERE. 

The  hosts  of  Heaven  are  marching  round  this  sphere. 

Saturn,  Jupiter  and  Mars  are  singing, 

"Christ   is   coming;    Christ  is  here." 

With  the  Sun  and  Moon,  five  great  spheres, 

Uranus,  Mercury  and  Venus  drawing  near, 

All  the  Hosts  of  Heaven  are  singing — 

"Christ  is   coming;    Christ  is   here." 

The  past  three  days,  three  of  the  most  brilliant 
planets  of  our  solar  universe  have  been  working  in  con- 
junction, namely:  Saturn,  Jupiter  and  Venus.  Three  of 
flur  grandest  planets  were  in  conjunction  at  the  birth  of 
Jesus— THE  CHRIST— nearly  2,000  years  ago,  namely: 
Saturn,  Jupiter  and  Mars.  We  expect  to  see  this  same  con- 
junction and  a  Great  Perihelion  upon  Friday,  the  13th  day 
of  December  of  this  year,  (1901)  for  the  sun  and  the 
moon  will  then  join  these  grand  bodies.  These  five  great 
spheres  and  our  solar  universe  will  be  working  in  conjunc- 
tion :  and,  '  Spiritual  Uranus '  and  '  Intellectual  Mercury ' 
will  be  to  their  Avest  but  a  few  degrees;  and,  'Beautiful 
Venus'  will  be  to  their  right  several  degrees,  or  to  the 
east. 

The  whole  will  make  a  most  magnificent  spectacle  of 
"Celestial  Lights"  and  a  wondrously  powerful  planetary 
influence.  , 

As  the  "Starry  Heavens"  and  the  "Heavenly  Hosts" 
heralded  the  coming  of  Jesus,  the  Christ,  likewise,  will  the 
great  planetary  conjunction  and  wondrous  perihelion  of 
to-day — the  "Hosts  of  Heaven" — herald  the  awakening 
of  souls  to  the  truth  of  Being,  that  Christ  is  WITHIN; 
hence  ' '  Christ  is  coming,  Christ  is  here, ' '  to  all  individuals 
who  realize  that  they  are  made  in  the  "image  of  God,"  the 
Christ.  Thus  the  "Hosts  of  Heaven"  are  marching  by, 
singing : 

"CHRIST  IS  COMING,   CHRIST  IS  HERE." 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AM)     LIFE.  571 

Nov.  24th,  1901. 

The  past  three  days,  three  of  the  most  brilliant 
poised  and  the  cardinal  signs  were  apon  their  owd  cusps 
denoting  spiritual  fame  for  onr  awakening  sphere— that 
is,  fame  among  the  "Heavenly  Boats." 

We  saw  this  sphere  perfectly  balanced  from  the  north 
to  the  south  and  from  the  --ast  to  the  west,  and  he  who 
hath  eyes  to  Bee,  let  him  see  and  understand,  for  only 
such   will   perceive  the   interpretation    of   your   wondrous 

vision. 

The  earth  was  perfectly  balanced^  spiritualized, 
because  the  cardinal  si.__.-nx  were  manifesting  their  highest 
spiritual  attributes.  This  is  the  reason  the  "Hosts  of 
Heaven"  arc  marching  by,  sin__im_r: 

"Christ  Is  Coming,  Christ  Is  Here." 

The  "Science  of  Life"  teaches  us  an  understanding, 
not  only  of  ourselves,  but  of  all  nature,  as  well.  There  we 
learn  the  "Truth  of  Being"  and  why  we  exist. 

The  great  "Book  of  Wisdom"  reveals  to  as,  in  its 
first  chapters,  that  God  said:  "Let  us  make  man  in  our 
own  image." 

To  he  made  in  the  image  of  God,  a  being  or  a  thing, 
signifies  that  we  must  correspond  to  that  personage  or 
thing,  not  only  in  appearance,  hut  also  in  power  and 
wisdom,  therefore  because  God,  the  Infinite  Creator  of  all. 

is  all-wise,  and  all-powerful,  and  everywhere  present,  man, 
bein<_f  mad.-  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God,  must   pos- 

the  infinite  attributes  of  Deity.  This  is  the  wondrous 
secret   of  the  •'Truth  of  Being." 

Every  soul  has  within  ils  REAL  8ELF  the  possibilities 

ami    the    capacities    of    Qod.     These     God-powers     are 

latent  in  most  individuals  because  man  does  not  ami  will 
not   understand  himself  or  know  his  real  power. 

Many   souls  are    now    awakening    to   the   truth   of  their 

HEAL  natures.     The  great  hall  of  spiritual  advancement 

has  started  upon  its  most  wondrous  journey;  and,  as  it  ad 
vances,  iis  motion  is  increasing  with  marvelous  rapidity; 

-19 


578  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

therefore  we  may  expect  to  see  the  most  powerful  manifes- 
tation of  the  forces  of  nature. 

Each  human  brain  is  a  wonderfully  constructed  and 
powerful  electric  battery,  and  the  atmosphere  and  all 
space  are  permeated  with  ethereal  and  electric  waves,  hence 
wireless  telegraphy  will  soon  be  the  most  successful  and 
rapid  means  of  communication — the  world  over,  and  espe- 
cially will  it  be  so  among  private  individuals. 

The  ether  transmits  light  186,300  miles  per  second; 
and,  at  that  rate  it  would  not  take  long  to  put  a  girdle 
about  the  earth,  or  to  reach  our  most  distant  planet. 

To  attain  this  most  marvelous  power  an  understand- 
ing of  the  laws  and  forces  of  nature  will  be  necessary  as 
well  as  a  knowledge  of  how  to  use  them.  Each  soul  must 
realize  that  he  is  made  in  the  "image  of  God"  that  he  has 
the  Christ  within  his  real  self.  Then  all  will  know 
that 

"Christ  Is  Coming,  Christ  Is  Here." 

The  solar  influences  are  now  ripe  for  their  most 
wondrous  realization.  Nearly  2,000  years  ago  the  Christ 
came  in  a  single  personage — Jesus,  the  Christ,  because  he 
expressed  all  of  God's  infinite  power. 

Then  humanity  was  not  far  enough  advanced  to  fully 
understand  the  truths  that  Jesus  taught.  To-day,  they  are 
more  prepared  to  accept  the  Christ  truths  which  the  life 
blood  of  Jesus  bought.  Many,  many  souls  now  realize  that 
Christ  is  within  their  real  selves,  striving  to  mani- 
fest himself.     Because  of  this, 

"Christ  Is  Coming,  Christ  Is  Here." 

Hence  it  is  not  necessary  to-day  for  the  Christ  to 
reappear  in  one  personage  only,  for  too  many  souls  know 
their  divinity— the  Christ  within— and,  for  this  reason,  the 
"Hosts  of  Divinity,"  are  marching  round  this  sphere,  re- 
joicing and  singing, 

"Christ  Is  Coming,  Christ  Is  Here." 

I.  A.  M. 

Stockton,  California,  Nov.  24,  1901. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AM)     LIFK  579 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  writer  in  predicting  wire- 
less telegraphy  as  early  as  1901,  wrote  with  greater  wis- 
dom than  she  dreamed. 

Along  these  same  lines  instruments  making  possible 
the  communication  between  spirits  and  mortals  will  yet 
be  perfected.  As  early  as  1870  a  spirit  scientist— a  Ger- 
man in  earth  life— the  same  spirit  who  predicted  the  erup- 
tion of  Mount  Pelee  at  the  meeting  in  St.  Lonis  in  1902, 
designed  for  Mrs.  Lord  an  instrument  attuned  to  spirit 
vibrations  with  a  receiver  for  recording  their  messages. 
She  did  not,  at  that  time,  appreciate  the  importance  of 
such  an  instrument  and  the  drawings  were  lost. 

V«  M     Will.    BUSY   AI.I.    VOIR    FAMILY. 

All  the  prominent  residents  and  spiritualists  of  Kan- 
sas City.  Missouri,  will  remember  Dr.  S.  S.  Todd,  whose 
office  was  in  the  Kidge  building.  He  was  prominent  in 
his  profession,  a  pronounced  spiritualist  and  intellectually 
big  enough  to  stand  by  any  truth.  He  was  the  substantial 
friend  of  all  honest  mediums.  He  always  reached  Ins  con- 
clusions by  strictly  scientific  analysis  and  logical  deduc- 
tions. He  was  one  of  the  many  friends  and  admirers  of 
Mrs.  Drake:  and.  at  the  time  of  her  Legal  fight  against 
the  political  ring  in  that  city,  volunteered  ,-is  bondsman  in 
her  several  cases  in  the  United  States  courts.  His  position 
in  reference  to  spiritualism,  and  his  action  in  Mrs.  Drake  s 
cases,  did  not  militate  against  Ins  business  as  many  timid 
souls  would  think,  but  only  strengthened  him  before  the 
public. 

in  the  last  yean  of  his  life  his  health  was  not  the  best. 
His   family   consist..!   of  a    wife,   her    brother    and    Ids 

sister,    all    much    younger    than    he.     They    were    naturally 

quite  anxious  on  this  account.  They  consulted  Mrs.  Drake's 

controls       I  lis    first    wife,    Thursa.    who    passed    over   y( 
before,   Came   and   told    them    not    tn   fear  as   he   would    live 

to  bury  them  all.     That    his  strength  of  character  ami 

knowledge    of    spirit    life    and    its    realities    gave    him    the 

strength  to  go  through  those  scenes  which  the  others  conld 


580  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

not  endure.  They  were  greatly  relieved  and  rejoiced  over 
the  information,  he  himself  being  conscious  of  self-centered 
power  to  meet  all  of  an  eventful  life's  duties,  come  as  they 
might.  His  wife  at  the  time  remarked,  "Oh,  papa,  I 
could  never  live  to  bury  you,"  so  greatly  was  he  beloved 
by  them  all.  It  was  an  unusual  prophecy,  later  fulfilled 
in  every  detail. 

VARIOUS  DEPARTMENTS  OF  SPIRITUAL  SCIENCE. 

To  mesmerism,  magnetism,  hypnotism,  psychology, 
clairvoyance  and  psychometry,  has  been  attributed  many  of 
the  mental  manifestations  of  spiritualism.  Some  have  at- 
tempted to  refer  all  mental  spiritual  phenomena  to  one 
or  more  of  these  departments  of  spiritual  science.  Failing 
to  recognize  that  each  possesses  a  distinct  place  of  its  own 
in  science,  and,  in  attempting  to  attribute  all  phenomena 
to  the  action  of  the  embodied  spirit — to  the  spirit  still 
incarnated — they  have  ignored  and  refused  to  recognize  the 
agency  of  the  disembodied  spirit  in  the  production  of  the 
phenomena.  Logical  reasons — in  fact,  any  good  reason — 
for  such  attempts  do  not  appear. 

Why  any  honest  thinker  can  object  to  life  continuing 
beyond  this  stage  of  existence  is  a  mystery.  If  it  does  con- 
tinue, as  the  facts  taken  as  a  whole  demonstrate,  what  ob- 
jection can  there  be  to  such  entity  telling  us  something  of 
that  continued  existence,  that  we  may  the  better  prepare 
ourselves  for  it. 

We  knoAv  that  we  live.  Grant  this  great  mystery,  and 
all  these  facts  upon  which  our  knowledge  of  a  continued 
existence  is  founded  follow  in  accordance  with  natural 
law.  Facts  are  yet  wanting  upon  which  to  predicate  im- 
mortality, but  are  too  many  and  too  real  for  it  to  be  dis- 
puted that  our  life  is  continued  beyond  this  stage  of  ex- 
istence. This  is  what  concerns  us  here  and  now.  As 
stated  in  the  commencement  of  this  work,  it  does  not  so 
much  concern  us  whence,  how  or  why  life  is,  as  to  know 
that  it  continues  as  individualized  here. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE 

Matter   is  necessary   for  the  manifestation  <>f   force 

Force  is  inherent  in  matter  as  shown  in  the  positive  and 
negative  conditions  of  .-ill  atoms.  It  is  the  Father  ;ui<1 
Mother  God.  It  is  the  radiant  energy  thai  manifests  in 
the  blade  of  grass,  pulsates  in  the  ocean's  swell,  vibrates  in 
the  immensity  of  space,  creating  and  holding  planets  and 
mighty  systems  in  place,  and,  grander  and  more  marvelous 
than  all,  thinks  in  human  and  spirit  forms.  It  is  main- 
fold  in  its  expression  and  infinite  in  its  variety  of  forms, 
[ndividualized  in  human  forms,  and  more  positively  indi- 
vidualized in  its  spirit  expression  it  is  what  in  <in  .  [ntel- 
leet  cannot  by  any  form  of  thesis  or  antithesis  define  or 
deny  it.  Thus  individualized,  it  is  conscious  of  its  con- 
sciousness, positive  of  its  individuality,  and  certain  of  its 
continuity  beyond  present  conditions,  or  else  nothing  is 
certain.  Intuition  and  cold  reason  both  assert  it  as  a  fact 
in  nature  — as  real  as  any  fact— that  it  continues  to  exist 
as  an  individualized,  integral,  sentient,  thinking,  entity 
beyond  this  stage  of  existence.  Beyond  this  conclusion  it 
is  not  necessary  or  important  to  investigate  or  speculate. 
Only  by  analogy  can  we  reach  past  the  next  Btage  of  ex- 
istence. The  knowledge  to  be  gained  in  the  next  si 
cannot  even  be  approximately  imagined  from  our  present 
angle  of  vision,  much  less  stated  in  terms  that  mean  any- 
thing. The  soul  — the  primal  element,  a  force,  a  principle 
distinct  from  matter,  rising  matter  as  a  means  of  expres- 
sion.  may.  and  does  prophesy  for  itself  an  eternal  destiny. 
Other  than  this  reason  lias  no  facts  upon  which  to  base 
such  a  conclusion. 

Coming  back  to  our  starting  point,  ami  referring 
once  more  to  the  chapters  of  spiritual  science  enumerated 
above,  it  is  known  that  this  force  operating  through  human 
organism  carries  with  its  vibrations  a  peculiar  emanation 

called  magnetism.  Its  actions  ami  reactions  .ire  inde- 
pendent of  mental  vibrations.  The  result  of  its  operations 
are  a  purely  physical  aura  with  a  potential  force  and  a 
(iiality  commensurate  with  the  will  of  the  individual 
and  the  quality  of  the  body.     Science  has  left  the  investi- 


582  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

gator  of  spiritual  phenomena  to  demonstrate  that  this 
aura,  when  thus  evolved,  is  amenable  to  mental  control, 
both  by  the  spirit  in  the  body,  and  out  of  the  body. 

When  the  mesmerist's  or  operator's  mental  concen- 
tration of  vigor,  will  and  suggestion  accompanies  this  mag- 
netic aura  the  result  is  mesmerism,  provided  his  or  her 
power  is  stronger  than  that  of  the  subject,  even  though 
the  subject  may  have  the  most  magnetism.  In  these  oper- 
ations it  is  usual  for  the  mesmerist  to  impress,  by  touch- 
ing the  magnetic  poles  or  nerve  centers  of  the  subject; 
and,  also,  to  secure  the  consent  of  the  subject,  although 
consent  is  not  necessary,  if  his  or  her  will  power  is  stronger 
and  he  or  she  has  the  ability  to  concentrate  their  mag- 
netism upon  the  subject.  We  will  here  state  that  no  one 
ever  exercises  this  power  to  mesmerize  unconsciously,  or 
are  successful  unless  they  know  how  to  concentrate  their 
magnetic  force. 

In  hypnotism  this  magnetic  aura  is  caught  up  and 
handled  by  the  hypnotist's  spirit  attendant,  or  control, 
whether  such  agency  is  recognized  or  not.  Spirit  is  able  to 
grasp  the  minute  corpuscles  of  this  aura  and  handle  them 
with  more  effect  than  the  hypnotist,  who  is  limited  by 
his  physical  conditions.  This  assistance  makes  it  unneces- 
sary to  manipulate  the  nerve  centers,  as  is  necessary  in 
the  beginning  with  the  mesmerist.  Ninety-five  per  cent  of 
the  human  family  are  subject  to  mesmeric,  hypnotic,  or 
psychological  influence  unless  they,  themselves,  or  their 
own  controls  are  better  versed  in  handling  this  force  and 
choose  to  prevent  anticipated  results. 

With  the  aid  of  the  invisible  operator  the  subject  is 
entranced.  In  such  cases  the  spirit  of  the  subject  is  with- 
drawn from  control  of  the  brain,  that  is,  it  "stands  out" 
of  its  natural  relation  to  the  physical  body,  and  the  assistant 
spirit  operator,  or  operators  are  permitted  to  use  the  brain 
and  give  the  seemingly  wonderful  revelations  and  wide 
range  of  information  attributed  to  the  so-called  "Sub- 
conscious Mind"  of  the  subject.  This  information  is 
sometimes  reliable  and  at  other  times  perfectly  unreliable, 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     A.\l>     LIFE  583 

according  as  tin-  operating  or  entraeing  spirits  receive  this 
information  from  other  intelligences  present  or  '.rive  it 
from  their  own  knowledge  and  information. 

That  these  exhibitions  are  attended  by  many  spirits 
of  all  kinds  and  degrees  of  intelligence,  reliable  and  un- 
reliable who  are  ready  t"  give  all  kinds  of  information, 
tlic  manifestations  amply  Indicate. 

Psychology  is  another  phase  of  mental  control  of  this 
same  force  evolved  from  vital,  physical  chemistry.  In 
this  department  the  potency  of  this  anra  is  greater  on  ac- 
count of  its  being  more  thoroughly  imbued  with,  and  sub- 
jected to  mental  vibrations.  Which  vibrations  in  a  measure 
correspond  to  the  physical  magnetic  vibrations.  Their 
potency — in  some  instances— is  such  as  to  have  a  perma- 
nent effect  upon  the  mental  vibrations  of  the  subject, 
sometimes  Lasting  for  years  without  the  subject  being 
aware  of  such  influence.  This  force  is.  in  no  way 
allied  to  magnetism,  which,  as  shown,  is  purely  physical 
and  greatly  modified  by  the  diet  and  habits  of  the  indi- 
vidual. The  spirit  and  the  clairvoyant  arrives  at  the 
differentia  of  this  aura  by  the  same  proci i 

Clairvoyance  is  acquired  in  the  mesmeric  state;  and, 
in  most  cases  the  clairvoyant  transcends  the  will  of  the 
visible  operator,  even  though  he  or  she  may  still  control 
the  clairvoyant's  body  by  his  or  her  mesmeric  power.  The 
independent  clairvoyant  is  not  always  in  a  clairvoyant 
state  which  shows  that  there  is  a  disembodied  mesmerist 
present  whether  the  subject  is  aware  of  it  or  not.  It  is 
thus  Been  that  all  operations  in  these  departments  of  spirit- 
ual   science   are    interwoven    with    each    other   through    the 

agency  of  the  disembodied  spirit-,  and.  that  none  of  these 
operations  are  independent  of  such  aid.  <bir  experiments 
along  this  line  warrant  the  conclusion  that  the  spiritual 

vision  of  the  clairvoyant  as  w.-ll  as  the  vision  of  the  en- 
trancing spirit  is  not  limited  by  space  in  the  realm  in 
which  the  spirit  exists.  That  tlmy  can  penetrate  other 
spheres  without  the  aid  of  spirits  from  those  spheres  is  not 

•yet  established.     Tf  the  on.-  wishing  to  become  elairvoy- 


584  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

ant,  or  wishing  to  increase  their  clairvoyant  vision  could 
learn  to  build  their  bodies  of  atoms  more  in  accordance 
with  spiritual  law — learn  that  "we  are  what  we  think 
and  eat ; ' '  and,  would  take  nothing  into  the  system  contain- 
ing, or  possessing  inherent  vibrations  destructive  of  spirit- 
ual harmony,  and  would  not  allow  any  thought  in  the 
brain  antagonistic  to  spiritual  law,  their  clairvoyant  pos- 
sibilities would  defy  expression. 

Experiments  and  investigations  in  psychometry  war- 
rant the  conclusion  that  it  is  a  spiritual  faculty  that  can 
be  exercised  independent  of  the  disembodied  spirit.  Many 
times  in  submitting  articles  whose  history  extended  far 
beyond  the  experience  of  Mrs.  Drake's  wisest  controls  and 
requiring  the  delineation  of  the  most  infinitesimal  vibra- 
tions, they  have  said:  "Submit  this  to  the  medium  when 
in  her  normal  condition." 

That  this  is  an  independent  faculty  or  function  of 
spirit,  analogous  to  intuition  in  its  operation  and  possessed 
by  all  spirits  in  and  out  of  the  body,  is  a  reasonable  con- 
clusion. By  reason  of  physical  organism,  diet  and  habits, 
this  faculty  cannot  be  developed  in  all  bodies,  especially 
by  meat-eaters  and  those  feeding  upon  the  coarser  foods. 
This  subject  is  mentioned  elsewhere. 

Those  attempting  to  refer  mental,  spiritual  phenomena 
to  any  of  these  departments  as  manifestations  independ- 
ent of  the  aid  of  disembodied  spirit,  have  been  unfortunate 
or  superficial  in  their  investigations. 


CONCLUSIONS. 

The  conclusions  from  the  facts  presented  may  be 
summed  ap  as  follows: 

First.  The  manifestations  <lo  occur.  The  reality  of 
the  facts  are  fully  established. 

ond.  That  they  occnr  in  accordance  with  nat- 
ural laws  whose  operations  are  not  fully  known;  some 
not    known   at    all. 

Third.  That  accurate  intelligence  is  manifested; 
and.  that  the  intelligence  manifested  is  not  that  of  any 
living  person  in  the  physical  body. 

Fourth.    That  intelligence  is  consecutive  though!  and 

think.')-. 
/      ///.      That    there    is    do   evidence   to    prove   that   the 

thinker  is  other  than  the  invisible  doer  of  these  facts 
represented. 

sixth.  That  the  science  of  spiritualism  is  in  har- 
mony with  the  science  of  the  physical  universe. 

The  sequence  of  these  conclusions  is  that,  if  this 
intelligence  is  not  embodied  in  human  physical  form,  it 
must   be  disembodied. 

Science  cannot  eseape  from  the  deductions  of  its  own 
Logic.  Tn  attempting  to  do  bo  it  stultifies  itself  and  loses 
influence.  Neither  can  Bcience  longer  ignore  the  facts  of 
spiritual  phenomena;  they  stand  so  very  close  to  the  new 
facts  of  materia]  science.  Besides,  spiritual  science  is  n..w 
popular.     It   has  come  to  this  age  unbidden,  unwelcome 

and   OJppoeed,   and.   yet,    its    inflnei has   spread    over   the 

whole  world,  and  is  dynamic  of  results  in  church  and  state, 

and    is    a    potential    moti'  in    the    lives    ,,\'    all    who 

understand  its  possibilities.  It  is  popular  in  its  litera- 
ture and  in  its  philosophy.  It  numbers  among  its  avowed 
adv.  me  of  the  brightest  thinkers  of  the  race.     It 


58G  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

is  a  philosophy  that  can  be  taught.  It  deals  with  that 
part  of  existence  just  beyond  the  five  physical  senses,  but 
which  is  none  the  less  real.  We  cannot  see  thought,  emo- 
tion or  will,  and  yet  these  govern  us  as  individuals  and  as 
nations.  We  are  conscious  of  consciousness.  We  are  liv- 
ing entities  within  and  out  of  the  body.  Facts  demon- 
strate this  and  all  the  Haeckels  and  German  schools  in 
the  world  and  their  insignificant  imitators  cannot  account 
for  all  of  these  facts  on  the  theory  of  blind  force  operat- 
ing through  material  organizations  or  any  and  all  of  the 
known  properties  of  matter.  Force  and  matter  are  co-eval 
and  co-existent  and  are  individualized  in  many  forms. 
While  it  has  not  been  our  purpose  to  discuss  this  conclu- 
sion from  our  facts,  we  are  warranted,  however,  from 
the  facts  submitted,  in  the  assertion  that  individuality  of 
force  is  accomplished  in  the  human  physical  organization 
and  that  such  individuality  is  retained  and  maintained  in  a 
second  stage  of  existence  after  the  change  called  death. 
The  facts  further  warrant  the  assertion  that  such  indi- 
vidualized entity  is  conscious  of  its  consciousness,  its  intel- 
ligence, its  thought,  its  emotions,  its  memory  and  will. 
In  all  these  things  it  is  essentially  human  as  in  this 
stage  of  its  existence.  This  conclusion  is  essential  as  a 
basis  upon  which  to  establish  a  system  of  ethics  that  can 
be  taught  in  our  homes  and  in  our  schools. 

From  a  purely  selfish  point  of  view  it  is  well  to 
know  something  of  the  conditions  into  which  death  will 
usher  us,  that  we  may  be  prepared  for  action  on  our 
arrival ;  that  we  may  go  supplied  with  the  mental  and 
spiritual  equipment  necessary  for  a  fair  start  in  that 
existence.  You  think  you  head  the  procession  here  with 
a  bank  account,  or  an  intellect  that  figures  out  that  you 
are  nothing  but  blind  force  operating  through  matter, 
that  you  are  nothing  but  an  aggregation  of  natural  prop- 
erties of  matter,  or  only  a  vibration  expanding  with  heat 
or  contracting  with  its  absence.  Perhaps  you  are.  Perhaps 
instead  of  being  at  the  head  of  the  procession  you  are  on  a 
different  tangent,  at  the  rear  which  nothing  but  death  can 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  687 

correct.    Our  facts  lead  us  to  a  different  conclusion;  and, 
from  tht'in  we  claim  for  ourselves  only: 

That  immortal  life  is  tin  law;  and,  its  conditions  what 
we  make  them. 

That   pn  D    is  open  to  all.     All  are  privileged 

to  work  out  higher  conditions  in  the  spirit  life. 

That  vicarious  sacrifice  does  not  intervene  with  the 
laws  of  compensation.     Effect  must  follow  cause. 

That  progressioo  contradicts  the  dogma  of  eternal 
punishment  and  a   fixed  state  after  death. 

That  facts  demonstrate  the  evolution  of  individual. 
personal  life,  from  the  mortal  to  the  spiritual  life,  hut  not 
backward  into  mortal  life  again. 

That  there  is  no  exclusive  divine  revelation,  finished, 
and  perfected. 

That  the  laws  permitting  Christ  to  heal  the  sick  and 
show  himself  to  his  disciples  and  to  the  multitude  have 
not  been  changed  to  conform  to  creeds  and  theolorrir.il 
dogmas. 

That  all  life  evolving  under  the  same  laws  must  reach 
the  same  ultimate  destiny. 

That  Spirit  Return  is  a  fact  in  the  Universe;  is  in 
harmony  with  all  other  facts  when  properly  understood 
and   formulated. 

That  belief  in  tin'  Father  and  Mother  God;  in  the 
Brotherhood  of  Man;  in  Prayer  and  in  Morality  meas- 
ured by  motives  is  the  essence  of  Our  Philosophy. 

The  t'or«'uroiii'_r  pa<_res  only  very  briefly  touch  the  real 
lif.'  of  the  medium.  If  her  hoTOSOope  means  anything, 
;is  it  doubtless  do.-s  to  students  along  that  line,  there  will 
be  occasion    for  a  seeond   volume  a   few  y;irs  later.     The 

-lit  work  will  have  served  its  purpose,  if  its  readers 
will  do  their  own  thinking.  <  >nly  a  small  pari  of  the  phe- 
nomena produced  by  her  mediumahip  has  been  presented 
—only  sufficient  to  illustrate  each  department  of  spiritual 

science.    A  few  e. inclusions  have  been  suggested,  and  oti 
are  left  for  the  readers  to  formulate. 


588  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

Many  very  interesting  prophecies,  not  yet  accomp- 
lished, and  many  important  incidents  are  omitted  from 
this  work.  The  hundreds  of  people  connected  with  these 
omitted  phenomena  may  be  disappointed.  The  size  of  this 
volume  makes  such  omission  imperative.  The  purpose  has 
been  to  present  a  sufficient  number  of  facts  to  scientific- 
ally advance  and  logically  demonstrate  the  theory-  of  spirit 
return — to  show  that  it  is  a  fact  in  nature  requiring  no 
new  laws,  no  new  conditions;  and,  only  incidentally  to 
deal  with  the  biography  of  the  medium. 

To  deal  with  the  facts  of  the  medium's  real  life— 
any  medium's  real  life— and  tell  why  and  how  they  are 
a  mirror  upon  which  falls  all  spiritual,  moral  and  mental 
changes,  as  well  as  physical,  civic  and  national;  and,  why 
catastrophes  and  cataclysms,  with  attendant  circumstances 
and  details,  are  passed  in  panoramic  view  before  them — 
to  tell  why  their  present  is  the  future  of  others,  requires  a 
greater  knowledge  of  spiritual  laws  than  is  possessed  at 
present. 

Many  able  minds  are  honestly  pushing  their  researches 
along  these  spiritual  and  occult  lines.  Men  of  science  are 
even  giving  rein  to  their  imagination  and  in  so  doing  are 
proving  as  serviceable  to  humanity  as  those  whose  fancy  has 
created  ideals  in  poetry  and  literature. 

Who  shall  say  that  the  dreams  of  Edison  and  Marconi, 
of  Darwin  and  Pasteur  are  inferior,  even  in  their  elevat- 
ing and  educational  tendency,  to  the  unreal  imaginings  of 
Milton  in  his  Paradise  Lost  and  Dante  in  his  Inferno,  of 
Goethe  and  Shakespeare  in  their  more  natural  fancies,  or 
Zola's  La  Bete  Humaine  and  Marie  Correlli's  Master 
Christian  1 

Truly  the  man  of  science  whose  constructive  imagi- 
nation is  not  confined  to  dogmatic  theory.— who  dares  to 
dream  his  defiance  of  gravity  in  his  aerial  flights,  to  har- 
ness the  elements  to  his  mills  and  chariots,  to  flash  human 
thought  around  the  globe  on  nothing  more  tangible  than 
ethereal  vibrations  is  Past  Master  of  imagination  and  ranks 
not  second  to  the  poet  or  occult  dreamer.     He  will  do  his 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     ANn     LIFE  £89 

part  for  the  satisfaction  of  the  spiritual  and  mental,  as 
well  as  the  materia]  needs  of  the  race,  .-ill  three  whether 
such  is  his  purpose  or  not. 

He  little  knows  what  .Master  hand  is  adjusting  the 
Lights  and  and  Bhades  of  his  dreams,  or  directing  them 
into  practical  ways,  only  as  he  becomes  amenable  to  occult 
suggestions  will  he  drop  obstructive  theories,  revise  others 
and  reach  success  and  acquire  courage  sufficient  to  accept 
the  fact  that  spirit  force  and  its  vehicle  of  expression— 
primal  matter  are  eo-evaJ  and  co-existent  Science  follow- 
ing the  lines  on  which  it  was  entered  must  boob  admil  that 
this  individualized,  sentient  force,  in  whatever  form  man- 
ifesting, is  primal  and  positive,  elemental  and  indestructi- 
ble. It  is  the  one  sole  primate  thai  is  oever  combined;  an- 
cient ;is  God;  00-eva]  with  1  lis  spirit  ;  horn  of  His  breath  and 
Living  in  His  life.  It  is  not  the  result  of  physical  organism, 
neither  is  it  the  result  of  a  combination  of  matter  favor- 
able to  its  production.  This  individualized  force,  called 
man.  prophesies  immortality   for  itself. 

"•  1/.  m,  ,<t,,  If, mm  tjui,!  I),  US  e8,  >>   in  Dntm   f<  r,  rtnis." 


590 


PSYCHIC     LIGHT 


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CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE 
ASTROLOGY. 

As  a  matter  of  interesl  to  students  who  may  hav< 
lowed  the  fortunes  of  our  medium  from  early  childhood  to 
the  present,  we  include  the  following  excerpts  from  an 
astrological  forecast  by  Mr.  Julius  Erickson,  of  St.  Louis. 
Mo.  While  these  are  aot  pertinenl  to  the  purpose  of  this 
compilation  of  spiritual  phenomena,  it  may  interesl  those 
who  believe  the  stars  exert  an  influence  up  'ii  the  lives  and 
actions  <>['  people  and  control  their  destiny. 


MRS.    MAID    LORD-DRAKE. 

According  to  date  furnished,  this  lady  was  born  as  the 
celestial,  movable,  cardinal  sign  "Capricorn,"  was  ris- 
ing.   Saturn  rules  this  Bign  and  is  therefore  her  "Ruling 

planet." 

"Saturn,"  her  "ruling  planet"  was  disposed  of  by 
Venus.  This  is  said  by  all  astrological  authorities  to  give 
a  very  refined  nature  and  a  pleasing  personality.  I  refer 
to  astrological  '"authorities.''  only  as  a  justification  and 
illustration  of  the  well-known  truth  of  astrological  tenets 

and  aphorisms  which  declare  that   purely  "S;iturn"  people 

are  usually  coarse  and  of  extremely  selfish  nature,  hence. 

we  here  have  a  test.  This  lady  ifl  rilled  by  "Saturn." 
But  the  proximity  of  "Alma"  Venus  to  her  inter  endows 
her  with  love  of  beauty,  art  ami  music,  and  gives  her 
inherent  refinement,  intelligence  and  culture,  a  character 
embellished  with  gracious  humility,  unselfishness  and 
religious  Bentimenl  of  a  high  order,  just  the  op] 
Saturn  people  doI  thus  aspected. 

Jupiter  is  supposed  to  give  wealth  or  station  ace 
ing  to  the  position  he  may  occupy  in  the  I-  if 

helnw    the   earth    and    unaspected    by    the   Sun    or    Moon,    it 

presignifiee  poverty  and  destitution.    Here  we  fin.)  Jup 
about    the  earth  ami   posited   in  the  house  of  honor  nml 

in    trim-   aspect    with   the   Sun.    and    in    textile   Bspecl    with 
fair  "Cvnthia."  who  holds  sway  in  the  ascendant.  Tl 


592  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

are  always  good  aspects  and  are  indisputable  testimonies 
of  "great  wealth"  late  in  life. 

On  critical  examination  I  find  the  Moon  opposed 
by  "  Mars  "  from  the  house  of  ' ' enemies ' ' ;  this  is  a  decidedly 
evil  aspect  and  indicates  grave  danger  of  loss  and  disper- 
sion of  wealth  through  the  chicanery  and  machinations  of 
bitter  and  remorseless  foes;  still,  even  this  will  never  be 
able  to  conquer  the  dauntless  and  persistent  spirit  of  old 
Saturn,  for  no  matter  how  deep  the  despair,  or  great  the 
fall,  the  self-willed  spirit,  the  persistence  and  tenacity  of 
the  ' '  Capricorn ' '  nature  would  rise  superior  to  all  obstacles, 
and  cause  success  to  follow  close  on  thelieels  of  any  failure 
or  disastrous  reverse.  This  has  been,  and  will  continue 
to  .be  so  all  her  life.  Jupiter  is  elevated  in  this  horoscope, 
hence,  in  spite  of  many  better  experiences  and  the  opposi- 
tion of  powerful  foes  she  Avill  surmount  all  difficulties 
and  rise  triumphant. 

The  moon  is  the  synonym  for  change,  restlessness, 
travel,  etc..  and  its  position  so  strong  in  the  ascendant 
signifies  a  life  filled  with  many  strange  vicissitudes,  for 
the  person  born  with  the  moon  rising  partakes  largely  of 
that  luminary's  variability. 

Mercury  is  supposed  to  govern  intellect  to  a  large 
degree,  hence,  if  weak  or  strong  in  horoscope,  the  intellect 
is  supposed  to  tend  accordingly.  Here  we  find  Mercury 
in  exact  conjunction  with  the  Sun,  herald  of  "light," 
diffuser  of  "strength"  and  power.  This  is  truly  symbol- 
ical. The  conjunction  of  Mercury  with  the  source  of  illum- 
ination—the powerful  Sun  and  psychic  significator  of 
"mental"  illumination  and  the  propagation  of  spiritual 
truths— (The  Sun,  in  astrological  symbology.  typifies 
"spiritual  illumination."  the  Moon  signifies  earth  and 
earthly  desires,  or  the  sensual  nature  in  man).  Mercury 
therefore  rules  the  mental  forces  of  this  lady  and  his  con- 
junction with  the  Sun  (source  of  light  and  mental  illum- 
ination) signifies  that  she  possesses  an  extraordinary 
high  degree  of  intellectual  power. 

On  close  inspection  of  the  horoscope  I  find  Uranus 


CONTINUITY     OP     LAW     WD     LIFE  593 

in    exact    conjunction    with    both    Saturn,    her    ruler,    and 

Venus.  "Uranus'1  is  invariably  "strong,"  in  the  horo- 
scopes of  Beers,  astrologers,  inventors,  scientists,  anti- 
quarians, etc. 

As  \\c  find  this  "God  of  mystery"  and  ruler  of  all 
occult  phenomena,  very  strong,  and  in  close  conjunction 
with  her  "ruling  planet.'"  Let  us  outline  in  a  brief  man- 
ner what  the  character,  the  mental  and  moral  trend  of  Buch 
a  person  must  be. 

"Capricorn"  denotes  a  very  active,  energetic,  ambi- 
tious nature;  one  very  hard  to  understand  and  still  more 
difficult  to  delineate.  This  lady  is  decidedly  averse  to  re- 
straint and  loves  freedom  of  act  and  thought;  is  extremely 
independent,  yet  not  at  all  arrogant,  nor  is  she  even  abrupt. 
as  are  most  independent  characters;  she  possesses  a  calm. 

>th,  suave  and  kindly  disposition  and  rarely  becomes 
angry;  if  angry,  in  appearance,  it  is  only  an  exhibition 
of  just  indignation;  she  is  open-hearted  and  quite  ap- 
proachable, for  there  is  nothing  of  the  arrogant  contume- 
liousness  of  so-called  superiority  about  her;  she  is  digni- 
fied and  grave,  yet  of  an  extremely  kind  disposition,  and 
would  not  harm  a  Living  thing;  she  is  sensitive  as  an  Aeo- 
lian harp  to  her  surroundings ;  is  decidedly  fond  of  assert- 
ing her  own  prerogatives  and  rights,  and  has  ideas  and 
opinions  of  her  own.  which  no  one  can  successfully  con- 
trovert: she  is  accustomed  to  helping  herself,  and  loves  to 
feel  the  satisfaction  the  knowledge  <>f  being  able  to  do 
this  affords. 

Her  mental    ; omplishments  and   activities  are  of  an 

extremely  hi'_rh  order;  she  is  quick  in  thought  as  the  speed- 

ing  arrow;  she  has  unusually  strong  and  true  intuitive 
powers,    BS    well    as    a     really    stron>_r    resourceful    wit    and 

\y  apprehension;  her  analytical  powers  are  of  an  acute 
and   discriminatory  order. 

The  position  of  Jupiter,  almost  at  the  zenith,  signi- 
fies  a  "born  leader"  and.  if  it  had  not  been  for  Saturn 
on  hei-  ascendant,  she  WOUld  have,  during  the  past  few  v 

ime  even  more  remarkably  famous,  than  the  remainder 


594  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

of  her  horoscope  indicates  her  to  be.  Her  ambitions  and 
purposes  should,  and  doubtless  do,  point  in  the  direction 
•of  some  new  movement,  or  along  some  new  lines  of  an 
old  philosophy  or  ethical  problem,  as  yet  but  little  under- 
stood. For  the  present  however  the  good  aspects  are  past 
and  the  negative  or  evil  ones  will  continue  to  thwart  her 
ideals  for  a  few  years  to  come.  During  the  next  two 
years  her  ambitions  will  hardly  be  realized.  These  ambi- 
tions should  be,  as  already  indicated,  in  the  direction  of 
occultism  and  in  the  demonstration  of  the  strange  and 
wonderful  truths  embraced  in  the  spiritual  law.  The 
science  of  astrology  clearly  indicates  that  she  possesses 
the  genius  for  this  line  of  investigation,  and  the  ability 
to  .carry  her  ideas  to  a  scientific  and  successful  issue. 

The  transit  of  Jupiter  over  the  meridian  of  her  horo- 
scope (a  fortunate  aspect),  indicates  a  marriage  early  in 
life,  but  as  Saturn  was  in  evil  aspect  with  the  Sun,  it 
would  necessarily  prove  a  disappointment,  and  possible 
separation. 

The  evil  aspect  of  Uranus  to  the  moon  signifies  some 
sudden  and  strangely  evil  event  in  early  life. 

The  conjunction  of  Venus  to  the  Sun,  a  most  fortu- 
nate and  propitious  aspect,  indicates  domestic  felicity  and 
concordance,  and,  therefore,  a.  happy  union  later  in  life. 

For  the  next  two  years  nothing  of  great  importance 
will  develop  for  her.  However,  about  1905  her  "stars"  will 
again  beam  forth  and  cause  a  decided  change  in  her  life, 
which  will  doubtless  place  her  in  the  front  rank  of  leader- 
ship in  occultism  in  the  land. 

The  best  years  of  her  life  will  be  1905-7-11  and  12; 
these  years  will  be  of  extraordinary  importance  to  her; 
and.  honors,  fame,  success  and  renown  will  be  showered 
upon  her. 


CONTINUITY     OF     LAW     AND     LIFE.  595 

We  also  quote  th<'  following  from  Mr.  Hrikson's  writ- 
ings: 

■'  Saturn*  is  supposed  to  role  ' evil  and  misfortune, ' 
and  it  is  strange  that  am. must  the  early  nations,  remote 
from  each  other  and    with    no    intercommunication,  this 

planet    should    always    have    heen    a< unted    and    held    as 

the  prince  of  evil   and   ill   nature. 

"Persons  in  whose  horoscope  Saturn  is  strong  for  ill 
generally  lead  an  unfortunate  existence.  "When  Satu.  1 
passes  a  strong  point  in  the  horoscope  of  any  one  (usually 
once  every  29%  years,  the  period  of  its  passage  around 
the  sun)  a  series  of  unfortunate  events  is  sure  to  transpire 
for  the  person  so  afflicted. 

"Jupiter,  the  prince  of  good  and  the  God  of  the 
ancienl  palatine  operates  directly  the  reverse.  Whenever 
he  makes  ;i  good  'transit'  in  one's  horoscope  about  once 
every  12  years)  they  usually  prosper,  and  success  crowns 
the  intelligent  efforts  of  the  person  so  aspected.  This  is 
always  in  proportion  to  the  strength  or  weakness  of  the 
person's  horoscope,  i.  e.,  the  places  occupied  by  the  planets 
and  signs  of  the  zodiac  at  the  hour  of  birth  of  that  partic- 
ular individual.  I  have  never  known  of  a  person  having 
a  strong  horoscope  for  good  to  meet  with  absolute  failure 
and  irretrievable  ruin  in  life,  nor  of  a  person  with  a  weak 
and  afflicted  horoscope  to  be  very  successful  for  any 
lencrth  of  time." 


5%  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

INTO  EACH  LIFE  SOME  RAIN  MUST  FALL. 

When  Mrs.  Lord  first  recounted  her  experience  to 
a  dear  friend,  Mrs.  Addie  A.  Searle,  into  whose  life  some 
Borrow  had  come,  she  in  turn  presented  her  with  the  fol- 
lowing lines,  which  were  published  at  the  time  in  the  Bos- 
ton papers : 

"From  brooding  clouds  in  our  own  nature  rising, 

Our  life-rain  is  distilled; 
Tis  but  a  tear  from  woe,  o'er  life  uprising — 

Life  unfulfilled. 

There  is  for  every  Hi  an  equal  blessing — 

Morning  for  every   night; 
And  parting  makes  more  giad  returned  caressing, 

And  darkness  light. 

Despair — drear  midnight  storm  of  sob  and  wailing, — 

Breathes  of  no  coming  day; 
Beyond.    Hope's   rainbow    promise,   never   failing, 

Spans   o'er   the   way. 

Distrust,  self-tortured  from  its  breath  of  sorrow, 

Distills  but  ruin's  blight; 
Truth's  bright  star  beaming  o'er  the  coming  morrow 

Dispels  the  night. 

Hatred.    Heaven-banished,   earthward   madly   bending, 

As  vulture  prey-ward  sweeps; 
Love  smiles  again,  the  exile,  cloud-fold  rending, 

Repentant   weeps. 

i 

Glory!    Joy  veiled  in  mercy  from  our  vision, 

Wealth-burdened,   overflows; 
Lending  a  radiance  from  the  land  Elysian, 

That  crowns  repose." 


I  IN  I  11' V     OF     LAW     AM)     LIFE.  597 

BRING   FLOWERS. 

Bring    flowers,    bright    llou 
Ami    wrraih    the    brow. 

Bring  sweel    perfume, 
And  Bcatter  now, 

For    Borrowing    hearts 

There    is   a    balm. 
For    grid     tossed    souls 

There   is   a  calm. 
When,    for    griefs    burdened 

Sigh,  is  brought 
•t  comfort,   as   by 

Angels  taught, 
Whispering    sweetly 

Of  spirit   birth. 
Mourn   we   no  more, 

For    the    loved    of   earth. 
They  are  not  dead. 

Nor  gone  away! 
But  in  spirit  lovingly 

About  you  stay. 
Let  joy  usurp  the 

Silent  gloom 
That  still  prevades 

My  dying  room. 
Oh!    echo  there 

Sweet  music's   tone 
For  oft  I'm  near  and 

Love  the  song, 
yes  to  each 

I  come.  I  come. 
To  cheer  thee 

In  thy  earthly  home. 

— Almira    T.    Parker. 
Beatrice.   Neb. 


598  PSYCHIC     LIGHT 

AN    EVENING    WITH    MAUD    E.    LORD. 

Mrs.  Emma  Elwood  of  Cambridgeport,  Massachu- 
setts, attended  a  seance  and  thus  expressed  her  convictions 
of  the  great  fact  of  life's  continuity. 

We  gathered  in  silence  around  her, 

And  waited  with  breathless  awe 
For  the   angels   who   quickly  found   her, 

For  the  spirit-forms  she  saw. 

Away  from  the  vain  world's  confusion, 

We  waited,   an  anxious   band; 
Oh  say,  was  it  all  a  delusion — 

Or    was    it    a    spirit-hand? 

I  felt  the  fond  pressure  of  fingers 

In  a  tender  loving  grasp, 
In  the- depths  of  my  heart  it  lingers, 

Oh  was  it  an  angel's  clasp? 

Was  it  you,  dear  father,  so  near  me? 

Did  you  see  my  glad  surprise? 
Did  your  listening  spirit  hear  me, 

And  give  me  those  sweet  replies'? 

The  rosebud  I've  laid  with  my  treasures; 

I  found  it  within  my  hand; 
Oh,  dearer  than  all  earthly  pleasures, 
That  hour  with  the  angel  hand. 

Oh  wonderful  gift!     Oft  I  ponder 
On  the  teachings  of  that  night, 
Till  lost  in  a  reverent  wonder 
I  pray  for  a  clearer  light. 


With  our  loved  ones  of  earth  beside  us, 
We'll  patiently  watch  and  wait, 

And  trust  that  the  angels  will  guide  us 
Safe  up  to  the  Golden  Gate. 


INDEX. 

Advice  to  a  Chicago  Physician  by  Dr.  DeHaveu 199 

All  Night  Manifestations  at  Mrs.  Dr.  Cutter's 233 

Amusement,  Serenade  and  Fishing  at  a  Summer  Resort. 425 

Ancient  Belief  in  Spiritualism 497-8,  500 

Animals  Clairvoyant  and  Clairaudient 216,  467-9 

A  Pair  of  Slippers  Walk  Upstairs  in  Daylight 519 

Arrested  and  Vindicated  in  Kansas  City,  Mo 443 

Articles  Carried  Long  Distances.  .80,  181,  278,  431-2,  486 

Ashtabula  Disaster    197 

Astrology   591,  595 

Attends  a  Funeral  in  Spirit   210 

Attends  His  Own  Funeral    304 

Attempts  to  Explain  the  Phenomena 119 

Baby  Medium  Serenaded  by  the  Spirit  Band 173 

Battery  by   Controlling   Spirit    179 

Bitten  by  a  Mad  Dog 37 

Blavateky,  Madam   257,  260 

Blind   by    Severe    Punishment    23 

Blood  Poisoning  from  Vaccination   177 

Boston 's  Compliments  to  the  Medium   334 

Bundy,   Jno.   C,  Attends   Two   Seances    392 

Butter  Brought  from  the  Cellar  by  Clarence 162 

Call   Thyself  "EON"    387 

Calls   for   Assistance    570 

I  latches  the  Music  P>o\   in   .Mid-Air   465 

Catlplic  and  Spiritnalisl  Officiate  at  a  Funeral  263 

Catholic  Priest   Rebukes  a  Methodist 225 

Chateau  Berleaux-  Ancestral  Home  of  the  Medium. 11,  16 

( 'hinese   Seance    244 

Child  Medium    11.  193,   195 


ii  INDEX. 

Christian    Science    220 

Christ  is  Coming — Christ  is  Here — A  Vision 572-8 

Clarence  and  the  Working  Band   76 

Clarence  and  Leotah  Show  Themselves  to  Mr.  Drake .  .  358 

Clarence  Talks  to  Old  Friends 366,  369 

Classification  of  Spiritual  Science 580,  584 

Colored  Seance  by  Washington's  ''Exclusive  400".  .  .  .248 

Conclusions 585,  589 

Conclusions  by  Mrs.  Laura  A.  Hooker   184 

Convincing  Manifestations 75,  79,  80,  89,  128-9 

Country  Boy  Consults  Mephistopheles    99 

Custer's  Massacre  Predicted   . 154 

Dallas    (Texas)    Lawyer's  Experience    531 

J)*ay-Light  Seance   143,  227 

Death— Angel  or  Shadow?    365 

Death  Scene   166 

Destiny  or  What?   383 

Discussion  with  Orthodox  Minister 206-8,   436 

Does  Vegetable  Life  Reason  1    294 

Doubles— The  Other  Self 422 

Drives  all  Night  to  Verify  a  Test 440 

Drifting   on   Lake   Michigan    167 

Dr.  DeHaven  Uses  Surgical  Instruments  168 

Dual  Mind — Subconscious  Theory   Unscientific 455 

Early  Life  of  Maud  E.  Lord 17  to  145 

Earthquakes  Foretold    472-3,  479 

Encounter  with  a  Minister    93,  105 

Escape  from  a  Forced  Marriage    73 

Evolution  of  National  Characters   515 

Experience  as  a  Nurse  102 

Experience  of  St.  Louis,  Mo..  People   527-9 

Faces  on  the  Frosted  Window  Glass 170 

Fashionable  Set  of  Quincy,  111 278 


INDEX.  Ill 

Featherstonhaugh,  J.  D.,  Scientist   305 

Find  Lost  Papers   25 

Pishing    426 

Pour  Wise  Men    107 

( lalveston  Disaster  Predicted    475-7 

( ieneral  Grant  a  Spiritualist  515 

Gnothi  Se  Auton   (know  thyself)    500 


Hand  Drawing  and   Sketching    171 

Healing— Mental,   Magnetic,   Christian   Science 456 

Hepworth,  Rev.  George,  Spiritualist  and  Medium 515 

Hereditary— Mendelian   Law    551 

Hooker.  Laura  A.,  Experiences .  .146,  186 

I  [nine    Experiences    494-6,   519 

Home  Again   72 

Horoscope    .  . . 590 

How  Spirits  Talk   146,  175 

Huff,  Miss  Emma  J.,  Experience  494-6 

Hypnotist  Makes  Trouble    131 


Identity  of  Spirit 310-12,  370,  508-9,  511 

Indian  Band  Visits  a  Seance   226 

Indians  in  War  Paint,.  Smoke  the  Pipe  of  Peace 290 

Individualized  Life  and  Force   547,  549 

Interpretation  of  a  Vision   576,  578 

Invisible  Teachers    23 

Involution   of  Genius    184 

Iron  Hand   15,  198,  271,  381 

Jesse  Wilbourn,  the  Control's  Sentiments 387,  392 

Johnstown    Disaster    474 

Kaolah    Makes   Prairie   Quinine    101 

l\;iul;ili    Cures   a    Cripple    126 


iv  INDEX. 

Kansas  City  Mystery   538 

King,  E.  T.,  Lima,  Ohio,  Experience   222 

Lake  Pleasant,  Mass.,  Spiritual  Camp   314 

Learns  to  Read  and  Write  while  Blind 23 

Leotah   (Snowdrop)    Attends  Tilden  Seminary 258 

Leotah  at  Home   253,  256 

Leland,  S.  P.,  the  Exposer  Exposed  82 

Lesson  by  the  Control   125 

Lewis,  George  W.,  Personal  Experience 505,  510 

Lex  Hereditas  (Heredity  is  Law)    550,  555 

Life  Individualized 547-8 

Life   in    Chicago    187 

Lights  the  Fire   161,  173 

Lloyd  Garrison  and  Dio  Lewis  325 

Locates    Coal 28 

Locates   Buried   Money    124 

Lock  and  Unlock  the  Door 160,  496 

Lost  Ring  Returned  by  a  Spirit    165 

Lost  Articles  Returned 181 

Loses  Home  and  Money  299 

Magnetic  Vibrations    221 

Manifestations   Outside   of   the    Circle    465-6 

Married 148,  277,  373 

Marvelous  Cure  by  Spirit  Power  96,  152,  403 

'Materialization  in  the  Light 42,  106,  227,  361,  484 

Materialized  Hand  Has  No  Body  424-5 

Materializing  a  Rose    523 

Materialization  Scientific  and  Natural  484,  543-5 

Matter— Is  it  Intelligent?    550,  552 

Maud   E.   Lord's  Mysterious  Disappearance    267 

Mediumship 317 

Midnight  Serenade  in  Chicago 514 

Minister  has  a  Cabinet  Seance  51 

Money  Materializes  in  the  Air  521 

Moulton,   Louise   Chandler,   Two   True   Stories 331 

Moving   Heavy   Articles    428 


INDEX  v 

Moving  Articles  in  the  Light  427.  430-1,  519,  521 

Murdered  Woman   Reports  her  Death   118 

Murdered  by  his  Brother 120 

Name  Cut  <>n  the  Window  Glass   151 

Nathan   Murder  Clairvoyantly  Described    17fi 

Needle  AVork  Brought  from  a  Distance 80 

Noted  People 198,  205,  231,  247.  283,  375-8,  395,  498 

Noted  Scholars,  Ministers  and  Scientists 541-2 

Noted  Women    561-2 

Obsession 512-14,  555,  557 

Odd  Manifestations  428,  486-7,  563,  566 

Officiates  at  Funerals 263,  284,  304 

Orders  Physicians  and  Drusrs  Out  of  the  Room 93 

Oriental  Philosopher's  Prophecy    156 

Other  Mediums  in  the  Seance   251 

Paralysis  Cured    34,  94 

Phenomena  Appreciable  to  Physical  Senses 236,  483 

Philosophy  of  Spiritualism  Formulated  .  . 250,  256 

Physical  Phenomena 482,  541 

Pictures  by  Spirit  Artists   170,  429 

Pin  Brought   from  a  Distance   58 

Poetry— I  Crown  Thee  Queen    385 

My  Spirit   Guide' 492 

Into  Bach  Life  Some  Rain  Must  Fall 596 

Bring  Flowers    597 

An  Evening  with  Maud  E.  Lord   598 

Portraits— Mrs.    Lord    1,   352 

The  Stranger   160 

The  Child   Medium    193 

Madam   Blavatsky    257 

J.  S.  Drake  384 

Political    Predictions    479-80 

Preaches  a  Sermon   in  the  Old  School  House 46 

Predicts  Issues  of  the  War 29 


vi  INDEX. 

Preface   5-10 

President   Garfield's   Assassination   Predicted 282 

Prevents  a  Crime   572 

Prophecy  and  Protection   197 

Prophecy  Verified  181,  290,  480,  488,  579 

Psychical  Societies   535-7 

Psychometry 320,  397,  490-1 

Queen  City  Park  Spiritual  Camp,  Burlington,  Vt 343 

Red  Letters  Raised  on  the  Medium 's  Body   150 

Rescued  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Martin   141 

Rescued  by  the   Controls    123-224,   262 

Remarkable  Cures .  134,  524-6,  533-4,  540 

Richmond,  Mrs.  Cora  L.  V.,  Attends  a  Seance 326 

Ring  Brought  from  a  Closed  Grave  80 

Romance— "A  Blasted  Life"— A  True  Story 407 

Royal   Present    569 

Saved   527 

Saviors — Jesus,  Chrisna  and  Gautama  Ill 

Scientists '   Dilemma    546 

Seattle  Fire   474,  481 

Seance  Conducted  Without  the  Medium   266 

Secret  of  Healing  (note)    456 

Sent  From  Home    43,   55 

Serenades  His  Friends   344-6 

Seybert  Commission    340 

Silver  Brick  Presented  to  the   Medium    288 

Speak  in  Many  Foreign  Tongues 228,  244,  247,  571 

Speaks  Latin  to  the  Minister   50 

Spirit  Hands  Rock  the  Cradle    18 

Spirits  and  Spiritualism  in  Church 40,  434 

Spirit  Hand  Knocks  a  Young  Man  Down  Stairs ....   90 

Spirit  Writes  a  Prescription    19 

Spiritual  Faculties    377 

Spiritual  Science    580-4 

Spirit— What  Is  It?   294 


INDEX.  vii 

spiritualism  Co-eval  with  the   Human   Race 459 

Steamer  Alpena  Lost  on  Lake  Michigan  202 

Talks   French   24 

Tamil  and  Spanish   Languages  Spoken    528 

Teaches   School   One   Day    145 

Tells  Neighbors  of  Accident   31 

Telepathic    Experiment    560 

Testimony  of  a  Materialist    402 

Texas  Pioneer  Labors  -574 

The  Devil  in  a  School  House   21 

The  Devil  Attends  a  Methodist  Revival 48 

The  .Medium's  First  Deception    97 

"The  Other  Self,"  by  Prof.  George  W.  Lewis 214 

The  Stranger  156,  161 

Unaccountable  Prophecy   472,  481 

I  Fnusual  Test  Conditions  69,  109 

Unusual  Manifestations   423 

Valuable  Fan  Recovered   246 

Val,  His  Strange  Power  263,  405-6,  469-71,  496 

Val  -Valleur  Dupree   257,  262,  404 

Ventriloquist's  Opinion   138 

Visits   to   St.    Louis    136 

Visits  to  New  York  and  Boston   204 

Visit    to    Leadville   and   Mountains   of   Colorado 285 

Warned   by   Leotah    452 

What;  the  Pacts  Prove   499 

Williams.  A.  II..  Travels  wi*h  the  Medium 117.  133 

Will,  the  Spirit 's  Prii  ..il  Quality  456-7 

Witness  a  Spirit's  ueparture  From  the  Body vn 

Wonderful    Spirit     Manifestations     •_,:;•_,.    235 

Writes   <  lerman    ■'<] 


II 


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